Boeing Dreamliner problems escalate
Airlines worldwide stopped flying their Boeing 787s after several of the passenger jets had problems with their lithium-ion batteries. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded Boeing’s newest and most technologically advanced jetliner until the risk of battery fires was resolved in April. Other airlines and civil aviation authorities in other countries followed the FAA’s lead.
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Aerospace giant Boeing Co. is working to resolve another battery issue reported on one of its 787 Dreamliner jets when Japan Airlines discovered what appeared to be white smoke during routine maintenance work.
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The Federal Aviation Administration plans to issue a warning to airlines flying certain Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners and 747-8 jumbo jets, advising that they avoid high-altitude thunderstorms after instances of icing.
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The Federal Aviation Administration is developing a plan requiring airlines to inspect the emergency devices on their Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a fire erupted on the plane last week while it was parked at London’s Heathrow Airport.
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Investigators have no found evidence that the internal fire that sent smoke billowing through a parked and empty Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner in London on Friday was linked to problematic aircraft batteries, Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch said on Saturday.
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An empty Dreamliner catches fire sitting at London’s Heathrow Airport; the incident appears unrelated to battery troubles that grounded 787s earlier this year.
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The first Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner to fly under the United Airlines name since a mass grounding ordered by the government earlier this year has landed at Chicago.
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With a new plan to fix the problem-plagued lithium-ion battery systems on its grounded 787 Dreamliner passenger jets, Boeing Co. said the fleet should be airborne again within weeks.
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The Federal Aviation Administration may have just grounded Boeing’s Dreamliner planes, but Chief Executive Jim McNerney still says the company has “high confidence in the safety of the 787.”
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A Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its maiden flight from Doha to Zurich, Switzerland, to kick off regular service. The seven-hour flight has economy class and business class. Among its features, the Dreamliner is lighter (so it uses less fuel), has mood lighting and larger passenger windows that are electronically darkened. The business-class lavatory even has a window to the outside.
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On Sunday, United Airlines’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its inaugural commercial flight, flying from Houston to Chicago.
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Federal regulators are investigating Boeing Co.’s 787 jets after one such Dreamliner plane sparked a grass fire in South Carolina during pre-flight testing.
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