Boeing is to begin test flights for the 787 Dreamliner after safety regulators in the US approved an upgrade to the aircraft’s lithium-ion battery, which is believed to have been the cause of two onboard fires.
If the flights are successful, the Dreamliner could return to service within three to four weeks, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The aircraft have been grounded worldwide since mid-January after two incidents where the lithium-ion batteries overheated.
The Federal Aviation Administration is now understood to have approved Boeing’s solution to the problem, which involved placing a layer of insulation between battery cells and placing the battery in a fire-resistant box.
However, Boeing has not confirmed how soon the aircraft will return to service. Thomson has already been forced to cancel its first Dreamliner flights planned for May as it hasn’t yet been told when to expect delivery of its first 787.
