India's Aviation Ministry Expresses Concerns Over Dreamliner Fire Incident

   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 [e-mail]

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