U.S. regulator approves Boeing 787 certification plan for battery fix (2)

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday approved the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company's certification plan for the redesigned 787 battery system, the first step toward returning the fleet to flight.

The certification plan is the first step in the process to evaluate the 787's return to flight and requires Boeing to conduct extensive testing and analysis to demonstrate compliance with the applicable safety regulations and special conditions, the FAA said in a statement.

"This comprehensive series of tests will show us whether the proposed battery improvements will work as designed," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The battery system improvements include a redesign of the internal battery components to minimize initiation of a short circuit within the battery, better insulation of the cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system, according to the statement.

The U.S. government has ordered U.S. carriers to ground their 787s since Jan. 16, following a battery fire at a Boeing 787 in Boston on Jan. 7.

It's unclear when the 787 will return to service again. The FAA said it would approve the redesign only if Boeing successfully complete all required tests and analysis to meet safety regulations.

The 787 is the first airliner to use lithium batteries, which can recharge faster and store more energy than other types of batteries of an equivalent size.

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