Aviation investigators and Boeing are continuing to determine what went wrong with the lithium-ion batteries on the 787 Dreamliner this month, prompting the first grounding of an American commercial airplane fleet since 1979.
As the airplane maker tries to find a fix, its customers are trying to figure out how to juggle schedules and routes to fly passengers with 50 Dreamliners grounded around the world. And at least one of those airlines is already saying it expects to be compensated by Boeing.
Today the Japanese Transport Safety Board released photos of the charred 787 battery that prompted pilots to make an emergency landing on Wednesday after they smelled smoke and cockpit indicators signaled a problem. Like the battery that caught fire on a 787 in Boston last week, the lithium-ion battery from the All Nippon Airways airplane showed a melted mass inside the battery case. There appears to be less damage on the outside of the battery box, indicating there was no fire outside the box, unlike the Boston incident.
GS Yuasa, the Japanese company that makes the lithium-ion batteries for the 787, is working with investigators.
It remains unclear whether the problem is with the batteries themselves, the power source or charging system, or the Dreamliner’s electrical system as a whole. The 787 is the most electric airliner ever built and relies far more on electricity to power on-board systems than any other airliner.
The Boeing 787 uses two 63-pound lithium-ion batteries primarily as backup power sources. The battery that caught fire in Boston is located in the tail of the airplane, and can also be used to start the nearby auxiliary power unit. The battery involved in Wednesday’s emergency landing in Japan is located under the cockpit in the front of the airplane.
The two airplanes involved were delivered almost a year apart. But according to the Seattle Times, the batteries may have been built in a much closer timeframe. The paper cites a source saying the serial numbers on the batteries were about 30 digits apart, indicating they may be from a single production run. If it turns out to be a battery manufacturing problem, it could show there is no widespread problem with the design and manufacturing of the Dreamliner itself. And flights could resume sooner than if the problem is traced to an inherent design problem with the airplane.
Boeing is already suggesting an interim fix could be a thorough inspection of the lithium-ion batteries and changes to pilot procedures for a more thorough check of any potential battery problems before flying according to the Seattle newspaper.
Ultimately Boeing is responsible for finding a fix to its new airplane whether the problem is traced to a bad batch of batteries or not. And already airlines are talking about being compensated as their $200 million airliners sit idle. Polish airline LOT says it will seek compensation from Boeing for its grounded airplanes according to Reuters. LOT’s 787 was left stranded in Chicago after making its first trans-Atlantic flight from Poland this week.
Several airlines, including Indian Airlines, are already receiving compensation from Boeing due to delays in the delivery of the 787 Dreamliner. With 50 airplanes grounded, the carriers are losing many millions of dollars. All Nippon Airways operates the largest fleet of 787s right now, with a total of 17 Dreamliners flying primarily domestic routes in Japan. The airline could be losing more than $1 million a day with its 787s parked according to Reuters.
Airlines Losing Millions as 787 Battery Investigation Continues
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Airlines Losing Millions as 787 Battery Investigation Continues
