Ethiopian Airlines first to resume flying Boeing’s grounded Dreamliners
April 27, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday resumed flying Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner passenger jets three months after the globe fleet were grounded over the failure of its battery system.
Aviation authorities have confirmed that the newly improved battery system withstands any heat-induced battery meltdowns.
Technicians were dispatched to the ten airlines using the Dreamliner around the world in order to install the new batteries.
“We’ve added three levels of protection to the airplane. We’ve improved the battery; we’ve minimized the impact should there be a failure on the battery system; and then, finally, we’ve isolated and contained the battery such that if there is a failure the integrity of the airplane, the safety of the airplane will not be compromised,” Boeing officials said.
All 50 Dreamliner passenger jets across the world were grounded on January 16 after one battery caught fire and another overheated, forcing an emergency landing. The incident swelled fears and raised questions over the safety and quality of new Boeing planes.
Boeing spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars redesigning the battery system, drawing on its vast staff of engineers and experts in everything from fighter planes to rockets and satellites.
It is not yet clear if the Boeing Company would pay any compensation to the Dreamliner owning companies. Authorities at Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday declined to comment on issue on Saturday.
Boeing have lost some $600 million during the three month-long grounding which also forced it to delay deliveries of per-ordered planes.
The United States Federal Aviation Agency last week approved the improved battery and lifted its ban. Ethiopian airlines is the world’s third and Africa’s first to own the Boeing Dreamliner aircraft.
(ST)