IKEA Recalls Thousands of Flying Carpets

Stockholm – IKEA today announced the recall of thousands of Flygande flying carpets due to safety concerns with the products. The recall largely applies to products sold in Western Europe, though some American consumers may also be affected.

The company gave little detail as to the nature of the defects, noting only that recent testing showed that the carpets did not mean their high standards for safety and quality. The company insists that no consumers have been harmed by the product, and are performing the recall proactively due to an "abundance of caution."

Consumer protection groups disagreed, arguing that IKEA has long known that the flying carpets were dangerous, and only issued the recall when it became clear that European regulators were preparing a formal warning against the company. Such a step would almost certainly incur large fines and strict supervision of the company.

The company did not address these concerns directly, only stating that it takes safety very seriously and would never compromise on its promise to consumers.