By Santanu Choudhury
NEW DELHI--India's civil aviation ministry has expressed
concerns over a fire that broke out aboard a Boeing Co. (BA) 787
Dreamliner, given that the country's flag carrier also operates
such jets.
But a senior ministry official said Friday that it will wait for
the results of an ongoing investigation in the U.S. by the National
Transportation Safety Board before it takes any action.
"We will need to see the NTSB report," the official, who
declined to be named, told reporters. "But, yes, we are concerned
about this fire incident."
The battery fire broke out on an empty Dreamliner operated by
Japan Airlines Co. (9201.TO) while the jet was parked at Boston's
Logan International Airport on Monday. The aircraft uses
lithium-ion batteries, which Boeing says are safe.
On Friday, Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. (9202.TO) canceled a
domestic flight of a Dreamliner due to a crack in the cockpit
window. That followed a similar cancellation Wednesday due to a
glitch in the computer system that controls the braking
functions.
Air India has six Dreamliner jets, which it uses on select
domestic routes as well to Dubai, Frankfurt and Paris. The national
carrier--one of the first customers of the Dreamliner--ordered a
total of 27 Dreamliner jets in January 2006.
It received the first aircraft last September after a delay of
more than four years. Air India plans to take delivery of six more
jets by the end of December, and the remaining 15 through 2016.
Air India's first 787 jet developed a snag in its power
equipment liquid cooling system and electrical power system in
September, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said last month in
Parliament.
"The snag has been reported to Boeing and as per its advice [an]
interim solution has been resorted to by Air India till
modification in the aircraft's electrical system is available in
the first quarter of 2013," Mr. Singh had said.
He had also said that since the Dreamliner is crucial to the
turnaround plan of loss-making Air India, the airline will continue
with its planned induction of the aircraft while resolving all
technical issues.
The ministry official said Friday that Boeing has addressed the
concerns raised by Air India and the Indian government following
September's technical snag.
Write to Santanu Choudhury at santanu.choudhury@dowjones.com
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