US grounds Boeing 787 over battery concerns
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 17, 2013
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday that it would temporarily ground Boeing 787s after incidents involving lithium battery failures.
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Charts showing Boeing's 787 Dreamliner orders and deliveries. [Photo: Agencies] |
The FAA said airlines would have to demonstrate that the lithium ion batteries involved were safe before they could resume flying Boeing's newest commercial airliner, but gave no details on when that could occur.
Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Its shares fell 2 percent in after-hours trading to $72.75 after the FAA announcement.
The use of new battery technology is among the cost-saving features of the 787, which Boeing says burns 20 percent less fuel than rival jetliners using older technology.
Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if they are overcharged and, once alight, they are difficult to put out as the chemicals produce oxygen, Boeing's chief engineer for the 787, Mike Sinnett, told reporters last week. He said lithium-ion was not the only battery choice, but "it was the right choice."
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