Tag Archives: 787

United Airlines puts Dreamliner back in the air after four-month grounding

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Four months after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with an emergency airworthiness directive, United Airlines is putting the fuel-friendly plane back in the air today. The Dreamliner had overheating issues with its lithium-ion battery, which saw two notable failures prior to its January grounding, but a recent revamp of the battery system might put some fliers' fears to rest. It's worth nothing that the FAA approved the battery fix despite the fact that it doesn't quite address the root cause of the problem, but airline executives don't appear to be overly concerned -- both Boeing CEO Jim McNerney and United CEO Jeff Smisek will be on today's Dreamliner flight from Houston to Chicago. For the moment, United's Dreamliner is limited to domestic flights but if all goes well, it'll return to international travel on June 10th, with a flight from Denver to Tokyo.

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Via: Business Insider

Source: United Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines completes first commercial 787 Dreamliner flight since grounding

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Ethiopian Airlines completes first commercial 787 Dreamliner flight since grounding

Nervous flyer? If so, it's probably best you weren't heading from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on business recently. If you were, you might have found yourself onboard the first commercial 787 Dreamliner flight since the global fleet was grounded due to concerns over battery failures. The flight comes just days after the FAA approved Boeing's fix, prompting deliveries of the new craft to resume. With Japan already having cleared the 787 for takeoff, we can expect to see a few more of them in our skies soon. We're more interested in joining the mile-high Android club.

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Source: Reuters

Japan clears 787s for takeoff pending FAA-approved battery fix

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DNP

Japan's transport minster, Akihiro Ohta, announced today that the country's airliners can resume flying grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliners once a newly approved battery system is installed. "We have reached a conclusion that there is no problem with the judgment by the FAA," Ohta told the Associated Press. Back in January two separate fires caused by the 787's lithium ion batteries led to the FAA temporarily grounding all Dreamliners. Japan's decision comes shortly after Boeing's CEO, Jim McNerney, stated during the company's recent fiscal conference call that he expected all 50 aircraft to be fixed by the middle of May. Japanese airline officials are forecasting a slightly longer timeline, with the country's 787s returning to the skies around June and test flights scheduled to begin on April 28th.

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Via: The Verge

Source: Associated Press

Boeing resumes 787 Dreamliner deliveries in early May, finishes retrofits soon after

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner with United

Now that Boeing has received the all-clear to implement its battery fix for the 787 Dreamliner, aviation buffs have mostly been left waiting to hear when they can once again climb aboard the advanced jet. It might be a short wait, according to CEO Jim McNerney. During a fiscal results call, he anticipated 787 deliveries resuming in early May, with all 50 aircraft fixed by the middle of that month. Passengers will just have to wait for airlines to resume (or establish) scheduled flights before they can once more enjoy some modern mid-air luxury.

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Source: Reuters

Boeing 787 completes battery testing, ready for re-evaluation by FAA

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Boeing 787 completes battery certification testing

Boeing's Dreamliner finally appears ready for the FAA to give it another shot. After being grounded in January the 787 has undergone numerous tweaks and refinements to improve the safety and reliability of the aircraft. The final test before submitting to the federal regulatory body for commercial approval was this morning's flight, which included a new battery system built by GS Yuasa Corp. After a roughly two-hour journey that began at 10:39am in Washington, the company reported that the upgraded batteries performed "as intended during normal and non-normal flight conditions." The next step will be submitting the proposed changes to the FAA, which will then decide if the proposed fixes are enough to return the jet to active duty. A two day hearing is set for April 23rd, at which point the fate of this current incarnation of the 787 will be decided.

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Source: Bloomberg

Boeing 787 Dreamliner completes flight check, certification still awaits (update)

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It wouldn't surprise us to learn that more than a few Boeing officials had their fingers crossed this morning in Everett, Washington. That's because the 787 Dreamliner took to the skies for the first time since being grounded in an effort to demonstrate a proper fix to that nasty overheating issue that's plagued the airliner's battery. The test flight, known as a functional flight check, lasted approximately two hours and will give the folks at Boeing an opportunity to examine data from the outing in advance of the 787's single certification flight -- a process that's otherwise known as one and done.

Update: This article originally stated that this is the first time the 787 Dreamliner has flown since being grounded, which is incorrect. Today's test flight is the first time the 787 Dreamliner has flown since the FAA-approved battery fix has been in place.

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Source: Reuters, USA Today

Boeing touts a ‘permanent’ fix for 787 Dreamliner batteries, Japan stays cautious

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Boeing says it has a 'permanent' fix for 787 Dreamliner batteries, Japan remains cautious

There's been talk for weeks of Boeing developing a fix for the 787 Dreamliner's battery fire troubles. If the aircraft maker has its way, that should soon translate to action. The company's commercial airplane chief, Raymond Conner, tells reporters that the company has a "permanent" fix that would place three layers of protection around the batteries and, theoretically, head off fires and their causes. It sounds like just the ticket -- the challenge will be getting everyone else to feel the same way. American investigators believe the batteries are at fault, but their Japanese counterparts haven't yet ruled out external factors. With this kind of ongoing debate, we're not about to book a 787 to Tokyo for spring break.

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Source: New York Times

FAA clears Boeing to fly 787 Dreamliners in limited testing, ferrying

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FAA clears Boeing to fly 787 Dreamliners in limited testing, ferrying

Fans of the 787 Dreamliner haven't had much reason to cheer for the past few weeks when the FAA grounded all US jets over concerns of battery failures. While there's no update on the reported fix, Boeing can at least say that the 787 is clear to fly again. Sort of. The FAA has given permission to Boeing to conduct flight tests under certain conditions. The company has to conduct battery- and insulation-related pre-flight inspections, watch battery behavior like a hawk, use only its own pilots and fly over unpopulated areas. Harsh terms to be sure, although we won't have to wait for the dry runs to see the 787 airborne once again: the FAA also gave Boeing clearance to ferry one of the airliners from Fort Worth, Texas to Everett, Washington after some paint work. It went off without a hitch, as you'd infer from the photo above. We're still some distance away from once again hopping on Dreamliners for long-haul flights, but the aircraft will at least have a chance to flex their muscles before they resume their main duties.

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Source: Reuters (Twitter), Puget Sound Business Journal

WSJ: Boeing readying battery tweaks for 787 Dreamliners

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WSJ: Boeing readying battery tweaks for 787 Dreamliners

The Wall Street Journal has gotten word that Boeing is preparing tweaks to its 787's lithium-ion batteries that could minimize the risk of fire and let its Dreamliners take to the skies before a long-term solution is sussed out. Citing industry and government officials, the WSJ says the modifications will see a larger separation between battery cells in an effort to lessen the risk of heat and fire spreading. Other measures may include keeping cells more firmly in place to prevent them from moving about and interfering with electronics, incorporating heat sensors and a beefed-up battery cover that could contain flames and chemicals. Changes to the aircraft aren't nailed down across the board just yet, and they still need approval by Japanese and American regulators before they can be applied. According to one of the WSJ's sources, a best-case scenario could see Dreamliners put back on passenger flight duty in March.

[Image credit: Martin Deutsch, Flickr]

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Source: Wall Street Journal

FAA grounds all US Boeing 787 Dreamliners after second lithium ion battery failure

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FAA grounds all US Boeing 787 Dreamliners after second lithium ion battery failure

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner began joining US airline fleets last year, but a fire started by the plane's lithium ion batteries last week put it on the docket for a review by the FAA. After a second mishap caused by the bird's batteries, the FAA is now requiring US airlines to temporarily ground all Dreamliners. In addition, the agency said it's given international aviation authorities a heads-up so they can take similar measures. According to the regulatory outfit, the battery failures could botch critical systems and structures, in addition to starting fires. In order to sort things out, the FAA says it'll work with Boeing on a plan that'll fix the issues and put the craft back in commission as "quickly and safely as possible." Hit the jump for the FAA's full statement.

Update: A United spokesman shared the following statement, confirming that passengers scheduled to fly on the Dreamliner will travel on other aircraft, instead:

"United will immediately comply with the Airworthiness Directive and will work closely with the FAA and Boeing on the technical review as we work toward restoring 787 service. We will begin re-accommodating customers on alternate aircraft."

Continue reading FAA grounds all US Boeing 787 Dreamliners after second lithium ion battery failure

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Source: Reuters (Twitter, 1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), Wall Street Journal