Air India looks to restart operations on 787 by mid-April

MUMBAI: Boeing has informed its airline customers in a letter on Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Authority, the US aviation watchdog and regulator has agreed to the proposed solution for augmenting and improving its battery system a defect which forced airlines across the globe to ground the latest aircraft from Boeing stable.

Sources within Air India confirmed the development but Boeing India office did not respond to calls immediately. Air India said if all things fall in place and the Indian regulator also approves, the Dreamliner or the 787 could be pressed into service by mid- April.

"We have received the communication from Boeing on the 787 and they have accepted the proposed solution to first containment of the batteries in a box, separation of these batteries from each other box and provide a vent so as to curb overheating of these batteries, " Air India official said not wanting to be identified.

A team from Being is expected to visit India soon and look at resolving the issue, we expect that this should take about four weeks and we can look at pressing the aircraft into service by April, another Air India official said.

Air India has six 787s currently in its fleet. They would add another two of this aircraft type by the end of this financial year and will add six more in the next financial year.