WASHINGTON (Nikkei)--U.S. regulators plan to lift the flight ban
on Boeing Co.'s 787 passenger jet as early as this month, paving
the way for All Nippon Airways Co. and Japan Airlines Co. (9201.TO)
to begin flying the aircraft soon after, the Nikkei reported in its
Thursday morning edition.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has already notified
its intentions to some officials in Japan. Japan's Transportation
Ministry is expected to lift its own ban once the FAA makes an
official announcement.
Due to a series of battery problems, the Dreamliner has been
grounded worldwide since Jan. 16. U.S. authorities are still
investigating the cause of the troubles, which led to smoke issuing
from batteries in some cases.
Boeing in late February submitted corrective proposals to the
FAA, centering on reinforcing the dividing walls inside the
batteries and preventing other batteries and equipment from being
affected if one were to overheat. The company, working with U.S.
regulators, has conducted test flights to verify the effectiveness
of these measures, and the results appear to have satisfied the
FAA.
The Transportation Ministry is also leaning toward lifting its
flight ban after examining Boeing's proposal in cooperation with
the FAA.
In the U.S., United Airlines Inc. may start flying 787s as soon
as late May.
Among Japanese carriers, ANA is looking to bring back the
Dreamliner for domestic services on June 1, after applying Boeing's
corrective measures to its fleet of 17 787s and conducting test
flights. This will likely enable the ANA Holdings Inc. (9202.TO)
unit to start using the aircraft in time for summer, a busy season
for domestic travel. ANA will bring back 787 international flights
gradually over the summer.
JAL, which flies the Dreamliner only on international routes,
plans to resume Dreamliner services in June.
The total number of cancellations caused by the 787's grounding
is expected to reach roughly 4,300 flights between ANA and JAL by
the end of May. Affecting as many as 135,000 passengers as of March
31, it turned into the biggest aircraft problem in Japanese
history.