Boeing suspends Dreamliner deliveries
Boeing has suspended deliveries of its new 787 Dreamliner aircraft until a battery problem is resolved, reports the BBC.
The decision could lead to delays in Thomson Airways and British Airways receiving aircraft they have on order.
Thomson Airways was expecting to take delivery of its first of eight 787s next month. It is due to start operating its first flight, to Mexico, on May 1 and it is planning to operate the aircraft from Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester and East Midlands.
Last week the Scotsman reported that Thomson’s Glasgow to Florida flight had the highest number of bookings of all its services.
It said today that it had not received any communication from Boeing regarding changes to its scheduled delivery dates. "At this current time we are still working towards flying our first commercial Dreamliner on the 1 May 2013," said a spokeswoman.
British Airways is due to start taking delivery of its first of 24 Dreamliners in May.
Boeing will continue to build the plane, but it won’t deliver any more until US safety officials are satisfied it is safe to fly.
All 50 of Boeing’s 787s currently in service were grounded last week after an All Nippon Airways flight on Wednesday made an emergency landing due to a battery fault.
"We will not deliver 787s until the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] approves a means of compliance with their recent Airworthiness Directive concerning batteries and the approved approach has been implemented," said a Boeing spokesman.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said earlier the Dreamliner would not fly again until authorities were "1,000% sure" it is safe.
A series of incidents over a 10-day period, including fuel leaks, brake problems and a cracked windscreen raised questions about the 787, which is the first major aircraft grounding since 1979.
However, it is the problem with the aircraft’s lithium batteries that have caused the most concern as there are fears these could catch fire mid-flight
This week, US and European aviation regulators said planes should be grounded while safety checks are carried out on batteries.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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