Japan Airlines finds fault on Boeing's modified Dreamliner: Reports

TOKYO: Japan Airlines found a fault with a modified Dreamliner on Sunday, reports said, a day after it resumed full operation of Boeing's flagship 787 fleet following battery problems.

JAL was forced to use another aircraft for a flight scheduled from Tokyo to Beijing after it found a fault with an air pressure sensor in the Dreamliner's battery container, Kyodo News and Jiji Press said.

The incident comes only a day after JAL and All Nippon Airways (ANA), the single biggest operator of 787s, put their full fleet of Dreamliners back into service following a four-month suspension due to battery problems.

ANA had started using Dreamliner planes for irregular flights last month.

JAL said the pressure sensor of the battery container in the plane showed a difference in air pressure between inside and outside during a safety check before departure, according to the media reports.

The airline added that there was no abnormality found in the battery itself, the reports said.

The difference in air pressure was put down to Boeing Co.'s faulty maintenance as two small holes on the container -- necessary for air ventilation to prevent overheating -- were mistakenly sealed when it repaired the battery system, Kyodo said citing JAL.

The airline changed the scheduled flight's aircraft to a Boeing 767 and departure was delayed by an hour, Kyodo said.