The Federal Aviation Administration has now given formal approval for a new lithium-ion battery system for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, ending a three-month ban and clearing airlines to fly the plane with customers.
The FAA’s ‘airworthiness directive’ applies just to United Airlines, the only U.S. carrier with the aircraft, but it will set the standard that regulators in Japan, Europe and elsewhere will follow.
A number of airlines who already have 787s are expected to resume normal passenger-carrying services by June.