Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner is carrying passengers again after a three-month ban on flights, but the company still faces potent risks related to the new, high-tech plane.
US regulators formally lifted flight restrictions last week after Boeing redesigned the lithium-ion battery system that overheated on two 787s in January, clearing the company to install the fix on the 50 jets delivered so far.
Though Boeing will not say what the crisis has cost, the Chicago-based aerospace and defense giant absorbed nearly all of it in the first quarter while posting a 20 percent profit gain.
Still, as the USD 207 million Dreamliner returns to service, aviation experts say Boeing remains vulnerable to ongoing regulatory inquiries that could reveal more information on the battery failures or make it harder to certify future airplanes.
"The airline community believes this is a ghastly time for Boeing and the 787, and only time will tell whether the fix will do the job," said Tim Clark, the CEO of Emirates airline, one of Boeing's biggest customers, though not a 787-buyer.
01/05/13 Reuters/moneycontrol.com
