New Delhi: India's civil aviation regulator will likely decide later Tuesday on whether to lift an over three-month- long ban on Boeing 787 flights by flag carrier Air India Ltd., a senior aviation ministry official said.
The regulator had grounded Air India's fleet of six Dreamliners in mid-January, matching an order by the Federal Aviation Administration on U.S.-registered 787s after lithium-ion battery malfunctions on two separate flights operated by Japanese carriers raised safety concerns.
The ministry official, who declined to be named, told The Wall Street Journal that Boeing Co. has finished installing new battery systems on one of Air India's Dreamliners, a process that was monitored by the nation's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The official said also that a team from the U.S. aircraft maker will update the regulator on the modification plans on the remaining five 787 aircraft.
"If we are satisfied about the work done on the first plane, then we will take a final decision on permitting flights on all the planes," the official said.
07/05/13 Dow Jones Business News/NASDAQ
