'FREAK’ MAINTANANCE ISSUE SEES MAJOR AIRLINE CANCEL UP TO 10,000 PASSENGERS’ FLIGHTS

A major airline has cancelled up to 10,000 passengers' flights after a 'freak' maintenance issue. Finnair, which carries 11 million travellers a year, has been forced to cancel dozens of journeys this week. 
Some 40 trips were grounded on Monday and Tuesday, while 18 others were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday.
And four more flights have been halted that were due to take off tomorrow (October 17), according to FlightAware.
It comes after manufacture guidelines brought up concerns over cleaning methods and fire safety on seat covers. 
As a result, a number of Airbus A321s have been taken out of service while it is resolved.
A Finnair spokesperson said: 'The reason for the suspension is information received from the seat cover manufacturer indicating that the impact of the seat cover cleaning method (water washing) on fire protection has not been properly verified.'
The airline emphasised how safety is a 'top priority'.
It added: 'Safety is always our top priority, and we always follow the manufacturers' maintenance instructions as well as the guidelines and recommendations of the authorities.
'Due to the situation, we have cancelled several flights between 13 and 17 October 2025. 
'Going forward, we will need to make some daily aircraft type changes to minimise the number of cancellations. These aircraft changes will likely lead to overbookings.
'Flight cancellations, delays or changes in the operating airline may also occur.'
An air passenger rights expert has shared his advice on what impacted passengers can expect.
Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, described the situation as a 'freak maintenance mishap'.
He added: 'From a compensation perspective under UK and EU law (regulations UK261 and EU261) passengers whose flights were cancelled as a result of this operational error, which the courts may deem as within an airline's control, could be due up to £520 in compensation for the inconvenience caused.
'It remains to be seen how Finnair will frame the cause of the cancellations, but the issue appears to have originated from a maintenance procedure rather than a regulatory safety order.
'If your flight is delayed by over two hours, airlines should offer affected passengers free food and drink vouchers to make the delay more comfortable.
'Equally, if your flight is moved to the following day, you can seek overnight accommodation from your airline.'
Meanwhile, for passengers whose flights are completely cancelled, he revealed they may be able to 'request a full refund' or 'request a seat on another flight from your airline'.
He added: 'Fortunately, major airlines do take the safety of their passengers extremely seriously and Finnair should be commended for taking the required steps as swiftly as possible.'