Dreamliner flight ‘went according to plan’
A test flight to check the 787 Dreamliner’s new battery system went according to plan, Boeing has announced.
The aircraft manufacturer was forced to redesign its lithium-ion battery after fires broke out in the battery compartments of two aircraft earlier this year. Ever since, all 787s have remained grounded.
Boeing said it will now analyse the data from the test flight before conducting a second flight aimed at demonstrating the new design to regulators within the next few days.
Until the battery problem is sorted out, Boeing will be unable to deliver new 787s to customers, including Thomson Airways which was originally expecting delivery of its first Dreamliner this month.
The operator has been forced to switch passengers booked to travel on the first Dreamliner flights from May onto other aircraft while it waits to be given a new delivery date by Boeing.
British Airways is also expecting to take delivery of the first of its Dreamliners this summer.
The battery redesign plan was approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this month, but it told Boeing to conduct extensive testing and analysis before it gives the go-ahead for commercial flights to resume.
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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