FAA grounds Dreamliner

Boeing’s newly released widebody aircraft has been grounded in the US by the country’s aviation body.

Travel Insurance News - 17/01/2013

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Boeing’s newly released widebody aircraft has been grounded in the US by the country’s aviation body.

Amid a series of minor technical difficulties since the launch of the Boeing 787 last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency airworthiness directive for the Boeing long-haul model, essentially preventing the plane from further operations until full checks have been carried out.

The move comes after the latest incident forced an emergency landing for Japanese carrier ANA due to a battery failure earlier in the week.

More than 30 of some 50 Dreamliners worldwide are now grounded for checks. In the US, United Airlines is the only carrier currently operating the Dreamliner and has six of the planes in its fleet.

Prior to the move, US transportation secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement that he was fully confident in the safety of the US-made aircraft and would have “no problem” boarding one for a flight.

The Dreamliner’s woes follow a series of production delays for the super-lightweight aircraft as well as similar problems that came after 2007 launch of the European-made Airbus A380.

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