Major airline cancels dozens of flights ‘over clean seats,’ offers refunds | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

As the flag carrier of Finland, Finnair has been serving the country since 1923 and flies to over 80 destinations across Europe, Asia, and North America.

To promote its home country as a tourist destination, Finnair also regularly plays into Finnish culture as part of its marketing strategy. Since 1998, the carrier has been known as the “Official Carrier of Santa Claus,” because it flies to several cities in the northern Lapland territory.

Its Finn Platinum Wing Lounge for high-fare and status flyers has a sauna, while in April 2025, the airline also unveiled a sauna that can reach temperatures of up to 120°C (250°F) inside of one of its Airbus A350 planes (sadly for those hoping for a quick soak, it is also only for business travelers).

“The impact of the seat cover cleaning method has not been properly verified”: Finnair

And now, Finnair’s reputation for wanting to be too clean may be even further cemented, as flight tracking watchdog FlightRadar reports that eight of its Airbus A321 planes have been put out of commission for inspection after the toilets on these planes were cleaned with water.

While the intent was to get them as clean as possible, Finnair discovered that the seat covers of the toilets are only intended to be cleaned with a specific product. This is because water washing can compromise protection in the event of fire.

“The reason for the suspension is information received from the seat manufacturer indicating that the impact of the seat cover cleaning method (water washing) on fire protection has not been properly verified,” Finnair said in a statement.

Finnair is the flag carrier and main airline of Finland.

Flying Finnair? These are the routes that may see canceled flights

As a result of the improper toilet seat-cover cleaning, the eight planes were pulled out of commission, which has led to the temporary grounding of 40 flights. The A321 planes are used to run shorter flights between Helsinki and European cities such as London, Milan, Stockholm, and Malaga, among others.

The inspections are a preventative measure to ensure that the wash given to the toilet seats does not increase the risk of a fire before the planes take off.

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Local airlines report that at least 15,000 passengers across Europe are affected by the flight cancellations.

“We are very sorry for the uncertainty and harm this situation may cause you, and we will do our best to minimize the impact on your journey,” a Finnair representative said in a further statement.

The eight planes have been ferried back from wherever they were grounded for an inspection in Helsinki that is expected to last until the end of October 14.

As of Tuesday morning, three of the planes have been cleared to start running flights on Oct. 15.

Travelers affected by the cancellation date have been asked to reschedule free of charge if they are still at home or at a place where they have accommodation, while those without it will be prioritized for alternative flights that will run over the course of several days.

Finnair also confirmed that anyone who does not rebook or take an alternative flight will get a refund to the original method of payment.

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