Finnair temporarily suspends some A321 ops due to potentially unsafe seat cover cleaning
Finnair said that the temporary grounding of eight of its Airbus A321s could affect up to 20 flights per day.
Finnair has informed its customers that it had to suspend operations of some of its Airbus A321ceo aircraft due to improper cabin cleaning procedures, namely that seat covers were cleaned with water.
According to the Finnish airline, it suspended flights with the eight A321ceos after the manufacturer of the aircraft’s seats informed the carrier that it had not verified whether washing seat covers with water does not affect the fire protection properties of the seat.
“Safety is always our top priority, and we always follow the manufacturers’ maintenance instructions as well as the guidelines and recommendations of the authorities.”
Finnair estimated that the suspension would affect around 20 flights per day. It has been canceling flights since Monday, with some flights also being affected on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) large aircraft certification specifications, each aircraft seat cushion must meet specific flame penetration requirements, including the fact that the cushion’s burn length must not exceed 43 centimeters (17 inches).
Other textiles on an aircraft, including floor covering, padding, decorative and non-decorative fabrics, leather, trays, galley furnishings, and others, “must be self-extinguishing when tested vertically,” and the “average burn length may not exceed 20 cm (8 inches), and the average flame time after removal of the flame source may not exceed 15 seconds.”
If the washing method had compromised flame protection properties, the eight A321ceos could be deemed unworthy to fly.
Cirium’s Diio Mi showed that Finnair’s A321ceos have been scheduled to fly 13 departures from Helsinki Airport (HEL) on Monday and Tuesday, including seven departures from the Finnish capital on Tuesday.
According to Flightradar24 records, Finnair has canceled 21 departures and 25 arrivals from/to HEL on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, including some that were scheduled to be operated by either A319ceo or A320ceo aircraft.
Planespotters.net indicated that Finnair has five A319ceo, nine A320ceo, and 15 A321ceo aircraft in its fleet.
Rytis Beresnevicius
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