The Dreamliner drama continues.
Airlines that have grounded the Boeing 787 continue to cancel flights as safety officials continue to investigate the planes' batteries to find the root cause of malfunctions that have caused an emergency landing, a fire and other problems.
While airlines scramble to readjust schedules, confusion about operations seems to be the only constant, particularly in the U.S., where United Airlines is the only American carrier to fly the troubled 787.
All Nippon Airways, a Japanese carrier that has 17 787s, has announced it will suspend Dreamliner service through at least January 28. USA Today reports that the carrier has already canceled more than 300 Dreamliner flights, including service between Tokyo and Seattle and San Jose. The airline has swapped in the Boeing 777, the Mercury News writes.
Japan Airlines, which flies the 787 between Tokyo and Boston and San Diego has so far cancelled 12 trips, Reuters reports. The airline says the planes will be parked until at least January 28.
LAN Chile, which has three Dreamliners, has suspended its flights but is swapping in alternate aircraft, according to a brief statement from the company. Poland's LOT Airlines has its two 787s parked and is considering asking Boeing for compensation for lost flying time, Reuters reported last week. Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways have also halted their 787 flights.
United is the only U.S. carrier to operate the 787, having launched service just this month between Los Angeles and Tokyo. Flights to Lagos, London and Amsterdam on the Dreamliner were already on hold, Flightglobal reported, after an emergency landing of a special preview flight in December for a mechanical problem.
Unlike its competitors, United has yet to make public announcements about the status of its six-plane 787 fleet, which remains grounded by FAA order.
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