Ethiopian Airlines has resumed Boeing 787 Dreamliner service on Saturday with a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, the first commercial flight in the world since the grounding of the Dreamliners in January.
In January, a 787 operated by the All Nippon Airways made an emergency landing in Japan after its battery started emitting smoke in the cockpit. Another 787 operated by Japan Airlines developed a battery fire at an airport in Boston, which ultimately led to the grounding of the 50-odd 787s in operation worldwide.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the approval for airlines to begin the process of returning the 787 to service with an enhanced battery system.
Earlier, Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam said, "We are excited to resume our service with the Dreamliners. The Dreamliner is the most advanced commercial aircraft, which has enabled passengers travelling with Ethiopian to enjoy the ultimate on-board comfort. During the five months our four Dreamliners were in service, we were very pleased with their performance, and the feedback from our passengers has been overwhelmingly positive. I look forward to being on-board the first passenger flight on Saturday, 27 April."
"We would like to thank Ethiopian Airlines for the patience, support and leadership shown throughout the period that the 787 Dreamliner has been grounded. We congratulate the airline on the return to commercial service of their 787 fleet. Ethiopian is a leading airline in Africa and we take pride in their achievement," said Ray Conner, President and CEO, Boeing (BA) Commercial Airplanes.
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