The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to approve the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s return to passenger service as early as Friday afternoon.
Barring unforeseen last-minute hitches, Boeing’s new airplane will finally be allowed back in the air — three months after the fleet was grounded worldwide in the wake of two incidents in January in which the plane’s lithium-ion batteries overheated.
A person familiar with the details said federal officials were preparing late Thursday to issue the go-ahead. That means the FAA approves of the Dreamliner with Boeing’s new safety-enhanced lithium-ion battery system installed.
Since Boeing completed a series of 20 preapproved tests of its new battery system April 5, the aviation business has been buzzing with speculation as to when the FAA would arrive at a decision.
18/04/13 Dominic Gates/Seattle Times
