Finnair Grounds Jets After Waterbath Turns Fire Hazard
In a plot twist seemingly ripped from aviation school bloopers, Finnair grounded half its Airbus A321 fleet after discovering that cleaning seat covers with water could breach fire safety rules. Since October 13, 2025, 8 out of 15 planes were benched, causing cancellations of 70 flights and disrupting travel plans for over 11,000 passengers who probably didnāt expect to become unpaid test subjects for fireproof fabric science. Senior VP Pekka Korhonen confessed the seat cleaning method wasnāt 'properly verified,' turning the standard biannual seat washing into an existential crisis. Leasing in two planes and juggling aircraft like hot potatoes, Finnair hopes all jets will be back sky-high by monthās endāassuming water stops sabotaging seat covers worldwide.
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Finnair learned the hard way that spraying water on airplane seats might turn a comfy ride into a fire hazard. Turns out, the safest airline move was to ground eight jets and cancel 70 flights because apparently, water and fire safety donāt mix. Who knew?
Only Finnair could take a mop and a bucket and turn an airline into a grounded fleet. Eight jets benched because seats got soggy enough to threaten fire safety. Next up: testing if fresh air can cause turbulence.
Breaking: Finnair's October soundtrack includes 70 canceled flights and 11,000 crushed travel dreams, all because washing seats with water unleashed a fire hazard. Airplane seats: not your grandma's laundry load.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 10/23/2025 | Author: Pete Syme
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