Thomson Airways, the first UK airline to fly the Dreamliner plane, has taken delivery of its initial aircraft.
The 290-passenger Boeing 787 jet touched down at Manchester Airport on Friday morning from Seattle in the United States.
Thomson had hoped to start flying the fuel-efficient Dreamliner at the beginning of May, but had to switch holidaymakers booked on the first UK flights to other aircraft after Boeing halted deliveries earlier this year.
Batteries overheated on two Dreamliners operated by Japanese carriers in separate incidents less than two weeks apart in January.
The faults – which followed a series of malfunctions – raised fears of a possible mid-air fire and led to the grounding of the world’s 787 fleet.
The action attracted worldwide attention to Boeing, dented the reputation of its flagship plane and meant Thomson had to scrap its Dreamliner flights planned for May and June.
US regulators ended a three-month ban in April with the approval of a new battery system.
Now the plane has been given the go-ahead to take to the air again, Thomson will begin Dreamliner flights on July 8.
source http://news.sky.com
Tags: dreamliner, Manchester, thomson airways, uk airline
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