Boeing Dreamliner grounded by US regulator

 

 United, the only US carrier flying 787s, currently operates six of the planes

 

The US aviation regulator has told US airlines to temporarily ground Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, following a battery fault on one of the aircraft in Japan.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that airlines must demonstrate that batteries are safe before flights can resume.
Boeing said it supported the FAA but said it was confident the 787 was safe.
United Airlines is the only US airline operating the 787. Earlier, Japan's two main airlines grounded their 787s.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) grounded its fleet of 17 Dreamliners when its flight NH 692 from Yamaguchi Ube was forced to land shortly after take-off.
Japan Airlines then took similar action, grounding its seven Dreamliners.
Along with United's six Dreamliners, it means well over half of all Dreamliners in operation are now grounded.
In recent weeks, Dreamliners have suffered issues including fuel leaks, a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire.
Finding answers Boeing shares closed down more than 3% on Wall Street on Wednesday.
"Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible," said Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney.

"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.

"Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers."
United Airlines said it would immediately comply with the FAA's directive and would begin re-accommodating customers on alternative aircraft.
Follow suit? The FAA said that when it issues an airworthiness directive, it also alerts the international aviation community so that other authorities can take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their countries.
Leithen Francis, from Aviation Week, said that could mean more bad news for Boeing in the coming days.
"When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive civil aviation and airlines around the world have to follow the FAA airworthiness directive, particularly in regards to the 787 because it a US-designed and developed aircraft," he told the BBC.
In the longer term, he said that airlines considering putting in orders for the 787 may now hold off or choose to increase orders of rival Airbus' A330, a comparable plane.
"The Airbus A330 is a proven product," he said.
Under investigation Late on Wednesday, the FAA said it would work with the manufacturer and carriers on an action plan to allow the US 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.
"The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013," the regulator said.
"The AD (airworthiness directive) is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery."
It said the battery failures resulted in the release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke, and the cause of the failures was under investigation.
"These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment," the FAA said.