US approves resumption of Boeing 787 flights

Monday, 22 April 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Federal officials have accepted Boeing’s revamped battery system for its beleaguered 787 Dreamliners and intend to lift a three-month-old order grounding the planes.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement today that it will next week send airlines instructions and publish a notice lifting the grounding order. The lifting of the grounding order will be effective the day the notice is published.

Lifting the grounding order gives Boeing the go-ahead to begin retrofitting planes with an enhanced lithium ion battery system. The root cause of battery failures that led to a fire on one of the planes and smoke on another remains unknown.

Flights could resume within a week.