With the Dreamliner still grounded, costing Airlines, like All Nippon Airlines and Air India millions in lost revenue, the report of the Polish government stating that their state-run LOT Polish Airlines is losing $50,000 a day due to the grounding of its two Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes, won't help Boeing keep the industry's trust.
LOT, a deeply indebted state-run airline, was the first European airline to get the Dreamliners. Deputy Treasury Minister Rafal Baniak put total losses due to the grounded planes Wednesday at 8 million zlotys ($2.5 million), reported USA Today.
This is without taking into account the cost of passenger complaints and some other costs, the news agency PAP reported.
To make matters worse, it doesn't appear that the Dreamliner's grounding order will be lifted anytime soon as the Japanese safety investigators said Wednesday they found improper wiring for a lithium-ion battery aboard an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner that made an emergency landing in Japan last month, stated USA Today.
U.S. safety investigators say they haven't found a similar wiring problem in the 787 battery that caught fire in a parked Japan Airlines plane in Boston, according to USA Today.
This suggested to investigators that an abnormal current was traveling from the auxiliary battery because of improper wiring. Investigators said more analysis was needed to determine what caused the main battery near the cockpit to overheat and emit the smoke that prompted the emergency landing Jan. 16, stated USA Today.
Marc Birtel, a Boeing spokesman, said the company couldn't comment on the finding because it is part of the Japanese investigation, reported USA Today.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has traced the origin of the fire to one of eight cells in the battery. Investigators continue to search for the cause, which could be a charging problem, a manufacturing flaw or something else.
"We have not found issue with the wiring of our battery," says Kelly Nantel, a board spokeswoman. "However, our investigation is still ongoing," according to USA Today.
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