Two Japanese airlines are looking to resume operations of Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets soon after US regulators lift the flight ban on the aircraft, which is expected to take place as early as this month, the Nikkei business daily reported today.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already notified its intentions to some Japanese officials, and Japan’s Transport Ministry is expected to lift its own ban once the FAA makes an announcement, the Nikkei reported without citing any sources.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) plans to restart Dreamliner flights for domestic services on June 1 and bring back international flights gradually over the summer, the report said. Japan Airlines (JAL), which flies the aircraft only on international routes, is looking to resume Dreamliner services in June.
Boeing’s newest model has been grounded worldwide since mid-January due to a series of battery failures.
In January, battery problems forced an ANA Dreamliner to make an emergency landing in western Japan, while an empty jet operated by JAL suffered an electrical fire at Boston’s Logan International Airport.
The total number of cancellations caused by the grounding of Dreamliners is expected to reach about 4,300 flights between ANA and JAL by the end of May. It had affected as many as 135,000 passengers as of March 31, the Nikkei reported.
ANA and JAL operate 17 and seven Dreamliners, respectively, out of the 50 jets that Boeing has delivered so far.