
Due to safety concerns, two of Japan’s largest airlines have announced they would stop flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner until further notice. Operations will resume once “safety is assured”, says ANA, and “after further assessment of the situation with ongoing investigations”, says JAL.
The decision was made in light of an incident onboard ANA flight NH692, a Boeing 787 en route from Yamaguchi Ube to Tokyo Haneda with 137 passengers and crew, none of which were seriously injured. According to the BBC, the pilots made an emergency landing in Takamatsu after their onboard systems indicated the presence of smoke in one of the electric compartments.
Links to the airlines’ announcements:
- ANA – Notification on Operation of Boeing 787
- JAL – Apology and Notice: Regarding JAL´s Operations of the 787-8 Aircraft
UPDATE 1 (Jan. 16, 2013): The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounds all U.S.-registered 787 aircraft. Refer to FAA Press Release.
UPDATE 2 (Jan. 16, 2013): Europe and India ground 787 aircraft, according to Reuters.
I believe that boeing will overcome this problem.