Boeing gets FAA nod for Dreamliner test flights
Boeing has been given permission by the FAA to carry out test flights of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
It has been allowed to run test flights "in defined airspace over unpopulated areas" and only after extensive pre-flight testing and inspections.
It is hoped the flights will help collect vital airborne data about the performance of the aircraft’s batteries.
Boeing and its airline customers were ordered to ground the entire fleet of 787s last month after two incidents involving the battery.
In one, a battery on the plane caught fire while another flight was forced to make an emergency landing when the battery malfunctioned.
Meanwhile, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said the initial tests carried out by Boeing on the Dreamliner batteries missed the high risk of fire.
NTSB head, Deborah Hersman, said initial safety checks and approval were given under the assumption that the lithium-ion batteries would produce smoke less than once in every 10 million flight hours.
But there have already been two battery fires since the 787 entered commercial service, in which time it has only clocked up 100,000 hours of flight-time.
The NTSB said Boeing’s tests also overlooked the fact that overheating in one battery cell could spread to the others, causing a fire.
Both of these issues need to be readdressed, said Hersman.
The NTSB hopes to produce an interim factual report within 30 days, but it will not be a final report.
by Bev Fearis
Gretchen Kelly
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events