[h=3]By JON OSTROWER, ANDY PASZTOR and YOREE KOH[/h]The Federal Aviation Administration Wednesday ordered a halt to flights of Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner, an unprecedented rebuke to the plane maker after two major battery malfunctions on its flagship jets.
Associated PressA Boeing 787 sits parked at Boeing Field in Seattle on Wednesday.
It's the first time in four decades that U.S. regulators have taken such dramatic action to effectively ground a major airliner. The FAA called for Boeing and its airline customers "to develop a corrective action plan" before flights can resume.
Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said the company "is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible" and is working "around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities." The statement also said "we are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity," adding that Boeing "deeply regrets the impact" on airlines and passengers.
The FAA's emergency order came after an All Nippon Airways Co. 787 in Japan was forced to make an emergency landing and evacuation. Alarms indicated overheating on the jet's main battery that caused a burning smell in the cabin.
The FAA said that before further flight, Boeing must demonstrate to the agency that the 787's advanced lithium ion batteries are safe. FAA officials said they will work with the company and airlines to allow flights "as quickly as possible," but the agency also said it is still trying to determine the root causes of two recent battery fires.
In effect, U.S. regulators in one fell swoop set the stage for what could turn out to be an extended grounding of 787s world-wide, without sketching out any clear path for what needs to be done to restore public confidence in the fleet of twin-engine jets.
The FAA's order applies only to U.S.-registered Dreamliners, meaning it will affect only the six 787s operated by United Airlines, a unit of United Continental Holdings Inc., which is currently the jet's only U.S. operator.
United said it will immediately comply with the FAA order and cooperate with the agency and Boeing "as we work toward restoring 787 service." It said it would substitute other planes on the routes currently flown by its 787s.
The last time the FAA ordered a jetliner model grounded was the DC-10 in 1979, although it has ordered inspections of other models since then. Prior to Wednesday's announcement, U.S. officials and Boeing executives had said they didn't think the 787s recent malfunctions posed an immediate safety risk.
The latest events have spotlighted concerns over a critical part of the plane's advanced electrical system at a time when the company is already working to increase production of its flagship product.
[h=3]Photos: Grounded[/h]
ReutersPassengers and crew left the plane using the inflatable escape chutes
[h=3]Timeline: Dream Diverted[/h]
From the Dreamliner's inception about a decade ago, Boeing officials, regulators, and safety experts focused significant attention on mitigating the hazards of overcharging the plane's two lithium-ion battery packs. Those concerns are now at the heart of the widening international probe into the Dreamliner.
Associated PressA Boeing 787 sits parked at Boeing Field in Seattle on Wednesday.
It's the first time in four decades that U.S. regulators have taken such dramatic action to effectively ground a major airliner. The FAA called for Boeing and its airline customers "to develop a corrective action plan" before flights can resume.
Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said the company "is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible" and is working "around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities." The statement also said "we are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity," adding that Boeing "deeply regrets the impact" on airlines and passengers.
The FAA's emergency order came after an All Nippon Airways Co. 787 in Japan was forced to make an emergency landing and evacuation. Alarms indicated overheating on the jet's main battery that caused a burning smell in the cabin.
The FAA said that before further flight, Boeing must demonstrate to the agency that the 787's advanced lithium ion batteries are safe. FAA officials said they will work with the company and airlines to allow flights "as quickly as possible," but the agency also said it is still trying to determine the root causes of two recent battery fires.
In effect, U.S. regulators in one fell swoop set the stage for what could turn out to be an extended grounding of 787s world-wide, without sketching out any clear path for what needs to be done to restore public confidence in the fleet of twin-engine jets.
The FAA's order applies only to U.S.-registered Dreamliners, meaning it will affect only the six 787s operated by United Airlines, a unit of United Continental Holdings Inc., which is currently the jet's only U.S. operator.
United said it will immediately comply with the FAA order and cooperate with the agency and Boeing "as we work toward restoring 787 service." It said it would substitute other planes on the routes currently flown by its 787s.
The last time the FAA ordered a jetliner model grounded was the DC-10 in 1979, although it has ordered inspections of other models since then. Prior to Wednesday's announcement, U.S. officials and Boeing executives had said they didn't think the 787s recent malfunctions posed an immediate safety risk.
The latest events have spotlighted concerns over a critical part of the plane's advanced electrical system at a time when the company is already working to increase production of its flagship product.
[h=3]Photos: Grounded[/h]
ReutersPassengers and crew left the plane using the inflatable escape chutes
[h=3]Timeline: Dream Diverted[/h]
From the Dreamliner's inception about a decade ago, Boeing officials, regulators, and safety experts focused significant attention on mitigating the hazards of overcharging the plane's two lithium-ion battery packs. Those concerns are now at the heart of the widening international probe into the Dreamliner.