Boeing Dreamliner back in skies

The first Dreamliner passenger flight since January(pic. BBC)

More than three months after safety issues grounded the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Ethiopian Airlines became the first to resume service with a commercial flight Saturday.

 

Nearly 50 Dreamliners around the world had been out of commission after two incidents on jets operated by Japanese airlines called the battery systems into question.

Boeing last week began installing a redesigned battery system in the aircraft.

The Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner flight carried passengers from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, the company said.

The move follows the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration posting a directive outlining the modifications necessary for the Dreamliner to fly again.

Japan this week authorized its passenger airlines to resume Dreamliner flights, but it wasn't clear when they  would reinstate the aircraft.

The Dreamliner's use of lightweight composite materials to greatly improve fuel economy has made it a big seller in Asia and the Middle East, where long-haul flights account for much of an airline's business.

source: CNN

Engineering team

Each 787 has two of the lithium-ion batteries in question.

In addition to new versions of the batteries which run at a much cooler temperature, the batteries are now enclosed in stainless steel boxes.

 

These boxes have a ventilation pipe that directly goes to the outside of the plane. Boeing says this means than in the unlikely event of any future fire or smoke, it would not affect the rest of the aircraft.

The two lithium-ion batteries are not used when the 787 is in flight.

Instead they are operational when the plane is on the ground and its engines are not turned on, and are used to power the aircraft's brakes and lights.

source: BBC.