TOKYO--Japan's two main airlines, All Nippon Airways Co.
(9202.TO) and Japan Airlines Co. (9201.TO), said Thursday they were
studying the decision by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority to
halt flights of Boeing 787 Dreamliners by U.S.-registered carriers,
but had not yet made any decisions on future actions.
The two carriers have among the largest fleets of the aircraft,
which began flying in the fall of 2011, and rely heavily on the
aircraft as part of their strategies for international service.
"We'll examine the information we've gotten so far and exchange
information further as necessary and will attempt to take
appropriate steps as soon as possible," said a spokeswoman for
ANA.
The firm "has not made any" decisions over future use of the
787s, she added.
A spokesman at JAL said that it is too early to comment on the
FAA decision but added that "we will continue to collect
information."
He said no decision has been made on flights using the 787.
Shares of both companies were lower in early trading Thursday
with ANA off 1.6% at Y179, while JAL was down 1.2% at Y3,630.
Both carriers have suspended their Dreamliner flights through
Thursday following the emergency landing of an ANA flight in
southwestern Japan on Wednesday after one of the plane's batteries
began to give off smoke, setting off alarms. The plane landed
safely with passengers and crew using emergency slides to
escape.
The Boeing Dreamliner employs advanced materials and systems to
help reduce weight, making it more fuel efficient. But it has
recently experienced a number of technical problems, raising doubts
about reliability and safety.
Write to Kosaku Narioka at kosaku.narioka@dowjones.com and
Hiroyuki Kachi at hiroyuki.kachi@dowjones.com
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