Batteries ground Dreamliners worldwide

Regulators in Japan, India and Chile followed the lead of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in ordering an indefinite halt to all operations, after a Japanese Dreamliner on Wednesday (16 January) was forced to make an emergency landing.

The FAA, which sets the benchmark for aviation standards, highlighted "a potential battery fire risk in the 787" after a suspected leak emerged as the focus of inquiries into the aborted All Nippon Airways flight continued.

Analysts said the ANA incident -- following a series of safety scares involving the Dreamliner -- needed careful crisis management from Boeing, which is staking its future on these new planes.

The aircraft relies on battery-powered electronics rather than the hydraulics used in older planes. Boeing says its use of lightweight composite materials is a breakthrough for airlines anxious to cut fuel costs.

Boeint's chief executive Jim McNerney said the company "deeply regrets" the impact of recent events on airlines and passengers and vowed to take "every necessary step" in conjunction with the FAA to resolve the problems.

However, he stressed: "We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity."

As a result of the mishap on the domestic ANA flight, 39 out of the 50 Dreamliners in operation around the world have now been grounded.

United Airlines joined ANA and Japan Airlines (JAL) in withdrawing Dreamliners from service. Air India and Chile's LAN Airlines followed suit.

The other airlines that operate 787s are Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines, whose website on Thursday (17 January) was still displaying a banner touting "the first Dreamliner in Europe".

"We will track the FAA enquiry into the Dreamliner. We can't say when we will allow it to fly again, it depends on when Boeing gives us satisfaction over safety concerns," Arun Mishra, India's civil aviation chief, told AFP.

Japan is home to 24 Dreamliners and the government in Tokyo said it was taking no chances pending an investigation into whether the lithium-ion battery on the ANA flight had overheated.

"Following the FAA decision, Boeing 787s will not be allowed to fly until their battery safety is assured," Japan's vice transport minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in consumer electronics such as laptops and mobile phones. Airlines warn passengers against carrying too many in their baggage because of the risk of overheating.

The powerful lithium-ion batteries used on the Dreamliner have emerged as the focus of concern in light of the ANA incident and another on a JAL flight in the United States last week, with smoke reported on both planes.

Electrolyte leaks and burn marks were found on the battery's metal casing, ANA said. Kyodo News reported that officials from the Japan Transport Safety Board were working on the principle that it overheated.

"Liquid leaked through the (forward battery compartment) room floor to the inside of the outer wall of the aircraft," Kyodo quoted investigator Hideyo Kosugi as saying.

ANA said the particular battery involved had been installed in October, ahead of the expected two-year replacement cycle because there had been a fault with the last one.

Tatsuo Nishina, an expert in battery technology at Yamagata University said he did not know the specifics of this case but the problem may not stem from the battery itself.

"Any overheating might have come from the electrical system rather than the battery," he told AFP. "If people who don't know the mechanism of lithium-ion batteries design the electric system, it can cause problems."

The batteries are made by Japan's GS Yuasa, one of a host of contractors in a complex web of global outsourcing that led to years of delays before Boeing delivered its first plane to ANA in 2011.

GS Yuasa defended its "substantial experience and technologies" and said it supplies its batteries first to France's Thales Group, which then assembled a system for shipping to Boeing.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge