Boeing has insisted that the Dreamliner B787 continues to be “safe to fly” despite three incidents affecting the aircraft this week.
An electrical fire broke out onboard an empty Japan Airlines’ B787 after landing at Boston’s Logan airport on Monday.
This was followed the next day by another JAL Dreamliner spilling 40 gallons of fuel on to the runway at the same airport as it prepared for take-off. The aircraft had to be towed back to the gate and the passengers disembarked safely.
JAL said in the statement that the second incident was caused by “mechanical issues” but did not give any further details.
A third incident happened yesterday (January 9) when an All Nippon Airways (ANA) B787 suffered a brake problem before a planned domestic flight in Japan.
ANA said that the flight between Yamaguchi and Tokyo had to be cancelled because brake parts needed to be replaced on the aircraft’s undercarriage.
Mike Sinnett, Boeing’s vice president and chief project engineer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told a news conference in the US: “I'm 100% convinced that the aircraft is safe to fly.
“The real issues are the economic impact to customers, and all of our reputations, so we work very hard to resolve those.
“We continue to be very confident in the airplane. Like any brand new airplane programme, the first year or two years in service, there are issues that we have to work through.”