Finnish flag carrier Finnair grounded eight Airbus A321s after the airline learned that water-washed seat covers might not meet the verified fire-protection standards that have been put in place by the European Union. Starting on October 13, the airline canceled around 70 flights due to the issue, something which disrupted the flow of roughly 11,000 passengers. This required the airline to lease backup aircraft and replace around 1,700 seat covers.

The aircraft are now slated to re-enter service starting next week, with all eight penciled into schedules by the end of October. Finnair attributes the issue to guidance provided by the original seat manufacturer and the third-party supplier of seat covers. The airline referred to this disruption as an "exceptional circumstance" that has r

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