Japanese airlines ground Boeing Dreamliners after emergency landing

Two Japanese airlines grounded their fleets of Boeing 787 Dreamliners for inspections after one of the aircraft made an emergency landing due to technical problems on Wednesday.

Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) immediately grounded Boeing’s newest model after smoke was detected on an ANA flight and it made an unscheduled landing at Takamatsu Airport at 8:45 am, Kyodo news agency said.

Cockpit instruments showed battery problems and the pilot smelled an unusual odour, Kyodo quoted aviation authorities as saying.

Passengers were evacuated through emergency chutes after the unscheduled landing at Takamatsu Airport at 8:45 am (2345 GMT Tuesday) and the airport was closed, Kyodo reported.

One passenger complained of pain in the lower back and was taken to hospital, Kyodo said, citing ANA and local authorities.

About five people were slightly injured, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.

ANA and JAL are two of the four largest customers for Boeing’s newest model, which has suffered a series of problems since it debuted in late 2011, more than three years behind schedule.

An electrical fire grounded the test fleet in 2010.

Last week, an electrical fire in an auxiliary power unit was discovered by a cleaning crew servicing an empty 787 Dreamliner operated by JAL at Boston’s Logan International Airport.

The following day, another Dreamliner operated by JAL had to return to the Logan terminal after a fuel leak was found while taxiing.


(DPA)