More delays for Dreamliner flight
2013-01-09 17:35
Tokyo - A Boeing Dreamliner flight by Japan's All Nippon
Airways had to be cancelled on Wednesday because of a brake problem, an airport
spokesperson said, the third problem to hit the aircraft in as many days.
ANA 698 was cancelled because brake parts from the rear
left undercarriage needed to be replaced, said the spokesperson at Yamaguchi
Ube airport in western Japan.
On Monday a Japan Airlines-operated 787 Dreamliner caught
fire after landing in Boston on a flight from Tokyo.
On Tuesday the same airline aborted a flight after around 150 litres of fuel spilled onto the runway.
The Dreamliner is touted as the great new hope for US
manufacturer Boeing, which says its next-generation composite fibre body
reduces weight and improves fuel efficiency.
But the string of incidents this week are only the latest
in a series of glitches for the aircraft.
In July last year test engine trouble was the subject of
a probe by the US National Transportation Safety Board.
On 23 July, Japan's All Nippon Airways said it was
grounding five Dreamliners for repairs because of a defect in the Rolls-Royce
engine.
In February, Boeing said around 55 Dreamliners were at
risk of developing a fuselage problem.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that electrical problems
prompted an emergency landing in New Orleans by a United Continental Dreamliner
flight recently.
ANA, the first company to take delivery of a Dreamliner,
began offering flights on the jet in October 2011.
- SAPA
