FAA clears Dreamliner for relaunch
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US aviation authorities have approved Boeing’s Dreamliner battery solution, paving the way for the aircraft to resume commercial flights.
Boeing submitted the solution to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in February and following a series of tests, the regulator has decided the new battery is safe to use. Airlines will now need to install the new battery units before they are able to relaunch Dreamliner flights. The new units will also be added to all new B787s during production, meaning Boeing will also be able to resume deliveries.
“FAA approval clears the way for us and the airlines to begin the process of returning the 787 to flight with continued confidence in the safety and reliability of this game-changing new airplane,” said Boeing’s chairman, president & CEO, Jim McNerney. “The promise of the 787 and the benefits it provides to airlines and their passengers remain fully intact as we take this important step forward with our customers and programme partners.”
While the FAA directive only applies to carriers in the US, its approval is likely to lead other regulatory bodies to ease their restrictions on the B787. The US and Japan have been working closely on the Dreamliner solution, and major customers All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) are likely to be among the first to resume flights. The Dreamliner’s lithium-ion battery is manufactured by Japan-based company GS Yuasa.
The global fleet of B787s was grounded on 16 January 2013 when a Dreamliner operated by ANA was forced to make an emergency landing after is battery overheated. This incident came a week after a JAL Dreamliner battery caught fire on arrival at Boston’s Logan airport, following a flight from Tokyo.
Following these incidents, Boeing worked on a new casing for the battery which prevents fire and isolates any problems from the rest of the aircraft. Following Boeing’s tests, the FAA examined the new enclosure over a month-long period beginning in early March, leading to Friday’s validation.
“The FAA set a high bar for our team and our solution,” said McNerney. “We appreciate the diligence, expertise and professionalism of the FAA’s technical team and the leadership of FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood throughout this process. Our shared commitment with global regulators and our customers to safe, efficient and reliable airplanes has helped make air travel the safest form of transportation in the world today.”
Boeing added that is has now deployed teams around the world to begin installing the new battery systems on its customers’ B787s. At present, nine airlines operate a total of 50 Dreamliners: ANA (17), JAL (7), Air India (6), United Airlines (6), Qatar Airways (5), Ethiopian Airlines (4), LAN Airlines (3) and LOT Polish Airlines (2). Orders have been placed for a further 840 aircraft.