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All Nippon Airways Takes Dreamliner With Improved Battery on Test Flight All Nippon Airways Takes Dreamliner With Improved Battery on Test Flight
(about 5 hours later)
HANEDA AIRPORT, Japan — All Nippon Airways, the largest operator of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners, made its first test flight Sunday of a jet fitted with fortified batteries. The two-hour trip is expected to pave the way for a full resumption of flights three months after burning batteries on two planes grounded the entire 787 global fleet.HANEDA AIRPORT, Japan — All Nippon Airways, the largest operator of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners, made its first test flight Sunday of a jet fitted with fortified batteries. The two-hour trip is expected to pave the way for a full resumption of flights three months after burning batteries on two planes grounded the entire 787 global fleet.
A 787 carrying top executives from Boeing and All Nippon took off from Haneda Airport on Tokyo’s waterfront Sunday morning and landed, apparently without incident, after a flight of about two hours. In the past week, regulators in the United States, Europe and Japan have all signed off on the battery fixes. A 787 carrying top executives from Boeing and All Nippon took off amid clear skies from Haneda Airport on Tokyo’s waterfront Sunday morning and landed, apparently without incident, after a flight of about two hours. In the past week, regulators in the United States, Europe and Japan have all signed off on the battery fixes.
Smaller airlines are already moving ahead in reintroducing the jet to their fleets, including Ethiopian Airlines, which used a 787 Saturday on a two-hour commercial flight from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya.Smaller airlines are already moving ahead in reintroducing the jet to their fleets, including Ethiopian Airlines, which used a 787 Saturday on a two-hour commercial flight from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya.
But the resumption of 787 flights at All Nippon and Japan Airlines, which together own half the 50 Dreamliner jets Boeing has so far delivered, will prove the real test of whether the modified batteries will eliminate further mishaps, as well as passenger response. Both airlines have said they hope to resume commercial flights in June. But the resumption of 787 flights at All Nippon and Japan Airlines, which together own half the 50 Dreamliner jets Boeing has so far delivered, will prove the real test of whether the modified batteries will eliminate further mishaps, as well as passenger response. Both airlines have said they hope to resume scheduled commercial flights in June. All Nippon said it may introduce Dreamliners on some flights before then.
“The flight went as planned, with absolutely no problems,” Shinichiro Ito, president and chief executive of All Nippon, told about 70 reporters and photographers who witnessed the plane land. “This is a big step toward flying again.”
Japanese and American regulators have been investigating the lithium-ion batteries aboard the 787 after a fire on Jan. 7 in a Japan Airlines 787 parked at a gate at Boston’s Logan Airport. A second incident later that month, involving a similar battery on an All Nippon Airways plane on a Japanese domestic flight, triggered an emergency landing and led to the worldwide grounding of the planes.Japanese and American regulators have been investigating the lithium-ion batteries aboard the 787 after a fire on Jan. 7 in a Japan Airlines 787 parked at a gate at Boston’s Logan Airport. A second incident later that month, involving a similar battery on an All Nippon Airways plane on a Japanese domestic flight, triggered an emergency landing and led to the worldwide grounding of the planes.
Boeing engineers say their fixes to the batteries — which include better insulation between the eight cells in the battery, gentler charging to minimize stress and a new titanium venting system — eliminate all potential causes of battery fire. But the engineers also acknowledged that they may never know what caused the batteries to overheat on the Japan Airlines and All Nippon aircraft because the battery cells were so damaged.Boeing engineers say their fixes to the batteries — which include better insulation between the eight cells in the battery, gentler charging to minimize stress and a new titanium venting system — eliminate all potential causes of battery fire. But the engineers also acknowledged that they may never know what caused the batteries to overheat on the Japan Airlines and All Nippon aircraft because the battery cells were so damaged.
Besides Boeing’s repairs, Japan’s Transport Ministry has requested that All Nippon and Japan Airlines also install improved battery monitoring systems on its planes, and put its 787 cockpit crews through additional flight training. Once the planes are back in service, the airlines will also take a sample of batteries every few months for tests to make sure the improvements are working.Besides Boeing’s repairs, Japan’s Transport Ministry has requested that All Nippon and Japan Airlines also install improved battery monitoring systems on its planes, and put its 787 cockpit crews through additional flight training. Once the planes are back in service, the airlines will also take a sample of batteries every few months for tests to make sure the improvements are working.
Boeing executives expressed relief at the flight’s success.
“It was a perfect flight on a perfect day,” said Ray Conner, executive vice president of the Boeing Company and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The flight was just spectacular. I mean, just to have the airplane back in the air was a great feeling for a of us, quite an emotional feeling. To be down for three months is a very long time.”
“We are very confident in the solution that we’ve developed, the design changes that we’ve made, and the testing that we’ve used to validate the design,” he added. “I speak for all of us that we would put our families on this airplane any time.”