The first commercial flight by Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has taken place since the troubled fleet was banned from the skies.
The 50 aircraft in service were grounded in January after a series of battery faults.
However, officials on Saturday confirmed that an Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner had flown from the capital Addis Ababa to Nairobi in Kenya.
“I wasn’t aware that I was going to be on the 787 Dreamliner until on my way to the airport. It was a good service and the flight was pleasant,” said Senait Mekonnen, an Ethiopian restaurateur, moments after the fully-booked flight landed.
Passengers reportedly gave the crew a round of applause upon landing at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Boeing’s problems started when two lithium-ion batteries overheated on two Dreamliners in separate incidents less than two weeks apart in January.
The faults raised fears of a possible mid-air fire, drawing worldwide attention to Boeing and denting the reputation of its flagship plane.
US regulators approved a new lithium-ion battery system on Thursday – ending the three-month ban and clearing airlines to fly the passenger jets once again.
The grounding of the Dreamliner fleet has cost Boeing an estimated $600m (£387.6m), halted deliveries of the aircraft and forced some airlines to lease alternative planes.
www.skynews.com
Tags: 50 aircraft, 787 Dreamliner, Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines 787
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