WASHINGTON: United Airlines said Thursday it expected to keep its six Boeing 787s
out of service until at least May 12, as the cutting-edge airplane remained
grounded worldwide due to battery problems.
United, the only US airline with
the 787 Dreamliner, just two days ago announced it would keep them on the
ground through March 30.
United has
"tentatively" scheduled a 787 on its Denver route to Tokyo's Narita
International Airport on May 12, UAL spokeswoman Christen David said in an
emailed response to an AFP query.
"We are taking the 787 out
of our schedule through June 5, except for Denver-Narita," she said.
A person familiar with the case
said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation of overheated
lithium-ion batteries on the 787 was ongoing and schedule adjustments were
necessary.
All 50 787s in service around the
world have been banned from flight since January 16 after a battery fire on a
parked plane and battery smoke on another one forced an emergency landing.
US and foreign investigators have
reported progress in the probe of the lithium-ion batteries but have yet to
pinpoint the cause of the problems.
Boeing is set to propose
temporary fixes to the battery problems to US air-safety regulators Friday and
could have them back in the air in two months, The New York Times reported.
The Times, citing industry and
federal officials, said Boeing had narrowed down the ways in which the
lithium-ion batteries could fail, concluding they would be safe to use after
making changes such as adding insulation between the battery cells.
Boeing commercial airplane
division chief Raymond Conner will unveil the proposals in a meeting Friday
with FAA chief Michael Huerta, according to the Times.
Federal officials told the
newspaper the aircraft could be back in the air by April if the fixes are
approved.
A Boeing spokesman said the
aerospace giant was aware of United's 787 schedule adjustments and reiterated
the company's regret about the impact of the groundings on its customers.
Asked about the media reports
that Boeing intends to submit a proposed battery fix to the FAA Friday, the
spokesman declined to comment.
In an interview with the Wall
Street Journal published late Thursday, Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney
explained that he has been working behind the scenes to resolve the crisis.
"I'm the one who has to
stand up with absolute confidence when Boeing proposes a solution to enable
this technology for the world," he told the newspaper, "And the only
way I know how is to dive in deeply with the people doing the scientific and
technical work."
He added: "This airplane is
our near- and medium-term future, and ultimately speaks to our reputation and
our brand."
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