The FAA Finally Says The Boeing Dreamliner Is Safe To Fly Again
The passenger jet, which promises fuel savings through new composite materials and a powerful lithium-ion battery, has been out of service since the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive on January 16, following two incidents in which that battery failed.
The FAA will issue instructions to operators next week for how to make appropriate changes to the aircraft, and will "closely monitor modifications," it said in a statement.
The "comprehensive and robust" three-part fix calls for stopping battery cells from short-circuiting in the first place, preventing such a failure from spreading throughout the battery, and making sure the plane is not damaged if all that happens anyway, with a sealed battery enclosure.
It does not address the root cause of the failures, which is still unknown, and likely to remain that way.