Boeing Co. (BA) plans Friday to fly a certification
demonstration of changes to its new 787 battery design, seen as the
final test before the aviation regulators begin reviewing the
company's collected data aimed at returning the grounded jet to
service with airlines.
The company is slated to use one of its production 787
Dreamliners, painted in the colors of LOT Polish Airlines SA, on
the flight and is scheduled to begin around 11 a.m. local time from
Boeing's Everett, Wash., facility and last for approximately two
hours, spokesman Marc Birtel said in an emailed statement.
The final certification test will "demonstrate that the new
system performs as intended during normal and non-normal flight
conditions," said Mr. Birtel.
The 787 has been grounded since Jan. 16 following two incidents
aboard a Japan Airlines Co. (9201.TO) and All Nippon Airways Co.
(ALNPY, 9202.TO) Dreamliner in January that saw the lithium-ion
batteries burn, prompting trans-Pacific investigations and a
world-wide halt to Dreamliner flights. The final test Friday is
expected to move the ongoing 787 saga into a new phase, as the
Federal Aviation Administration will review Boeing's testing
results and advance toward lifting the moratorium, should
additional testing or changes not be required.
Write to Jon Ostrower at jon.ostrower@wsj.com
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