With the US aviation regulator approving Boeing's plan to fix the battery-fire problem in the Dreamliner fleet, Air India today hoped to resume flights of this grounded aircraft by the later part of next month.
As Boeing informed airlines in seven countries, which have grounded all the 50 Boeing 787s since January, about the FAA approval, sources said Air India could start operating these planes by the last week of April after tests on the lithium ion battery packages are successfully carried out by Boeing.
A technical team from Boeing is expected to visit India soon to help resolving the problem, they said. The American aircraft manufacturer has developed new battery kits for the Dreamliners, which were now being tested by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA would take 3-4 weeks to complete the tests and certify the kit.
13/03/13 PTI/moneycontrol.com
