Boeing presents 787 battery plan to FAA
Boeing has presented its plan to fix the B787 Dreamliner’s batteries to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as it moves to get the aircraft back into service.
The President of Boeing’s Commercial division, Ray Conner, met with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in Washington late last week to discuss a potential resolution. While no specific details were reported, an FAA statement said it was “reviewing a Boeing proposal and will analyse it closely”.
It added however, that “we won’t allow the 787 to return to commercial service until we’re confident that any proposed solution has addressed the battery failure risks”.
According to a Bloomberg report, which cited unnamed sources, Boeing’s battery plan includes adding more insulation, fume vents, and a new heat-resistant glass case to the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries, which would be able to contain fires.
Whether this will be sufficient to get the Dreamliner back into the air remains to be seen, but with the entire global fleet now having been grounded and deliveries suspended for over a month, Boeing will be hoping its solution meets the FAA’s safety standards.