FAQs

Q: Is the 787 safe?  Why?
A: The 787 is safe because it is designed, like all Boeing airplanes, with multiple layers of redundancy. Our initial design intent is that parts and systems not fail. That said, we also assume that they will on rare occasions and we also design layer upon layer of protections that will ensure even in the presence of a failure the airplane will be able to continue flight and conduct a safe landing. This design approach has served Boeing and the industry well for generations. The 787 has more layers of redundancy than any other airplane. This ensures its safety and reliability for passengers and airlines.

We have proposed a permanent fix for the 787 battery issue to the FAA and Japanese regulators that provides three layers of protection. On March 12, Boeing received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the company's plan to test and certify improvements to the 787's battery system. Successful completion of each step within the plan will result in the FAA's approval to resume commercial 787 flights.

Q:  What actions are you taking to ensure the safety of the 787?
A:  There is no higher priority than the safety of passengers and crew members flying onboard our airplanes. Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We have made available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist. We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity.  We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787’s safety and to return the airplanes to service.

Q: What are you currently doing about this situation?
A:  Boeing continues to assist the NTSB and the other government agencies in the U.S. and Japan responsible for investigating two recent 787 incidents. The company has formed teams consisting of hundreds of engineering and technical experts – both inside and outside the company – who are working around the clock with the sole focus of resolving the issue and returning the 787 fleet to flight status. We are working this issue tirelessly in cooperation with our customers and the appropriate regulatory and investigative authorities.

Q: What are you doing to help your customers?
A: We are in ongoing conversations with our customers – those who operate the airplane as well as those who have not yet received their first 787 – to ensure they understand the progress being made to define the plan to return to flight. Once that plan is defined we will assist in completing the actions required.

Q: What is the issue with the batteries?
A: We are supporting the investigations that will determine the cause of the recent incidents involving 787 batteries. Until those investigations conclude, we can't speculate on what the results might be.

Q: What protections do you apply for the lithium ion batteries on the 787?
A: There are multiple backups to ensure the system is safe. These include protections against over-charging and over-discharging.

Q: Why didn't this battery issue show up in the flight test?
A: We are supporting the investigations that will determine the cause of the recent incidents involving 787 batteries. Until those investigations conclude, we can't speculate on what the results might be.

Q:  How long will 787s be grounded?
A:  787 operations will be able to resume once compliance with the airworthiness directive demonstrating the batteries are safe is completed

Q: What is an airworthiness directive?
A: Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are rules issued by the FAA to mandate actions such as inspections, repairs, data collection, and other operational changes.

.Q:  Will the grounding affect production and deliveries?
A:  787 production continues at our planned rates and we have no plans to change that. We will not deliver 787s until the FAA approves a means of compliance with their recent Airworthiness Directive concerning batteries and the approved approach has been implemented.

Q:  What is the anticipated timeline for getting the 787 returned to service?
A:  We have not discussed any specific timeline. Now that the certification plan has been approved, we have moved into certification testing. Once the solution has been fully tested and approved by the FAA (and other regulatory agencies), we would move into upgrading the fleet with the fix and then after we finish with the fleet, then we'd move into the production airplanes themselves. We will be prepared to work as expeditiously as possible to get the airplanes back into service, working with our customers and regulatory authorities.

Q:  How many tests are you conducting as part of the certification plan?
A:  There are 20 distinct laboratory tests of different aspects of the system under different conditions. In addition, we will submit extensive analysis and conduct some ground and flight testing of the battery system as well.

Q:  What kinds of testing are in the certification plan?
A:  The testing spans from the cell level – demonstrating that features of the cell (the bust disc as an example) perform as intended –  to the enclosure – validating that even if the airplane loses pressure it can contain the results of eight cells venting. Other tests would demonstrate flammability characteristics, hot weather performance, lightning protection and other features.

Q:  How long will all of this testing take?
A:  We have four separate test beds working on this testing, literally 24 hours a day. There are more than 100 Boeing engineers and experts involved. The testing started more than a week ago under the permission of the FAA. Our teams are working tirelessly and expeditiously but also mindful of being thorough.

Q: Why didn’t the original design include all of these new improvements?
A: The original design was demonstrated to have met all of the certification requirements. We now have a deeper understanding of the in-service environment, potential causes of faults in the battery and technologies and designs that will help address these. While the initial design dealt with known potential faults, we have implemented enhancements that better address what we have learned to make the battery even safer and more reliable.

Q: Are later built 787s safer and more reliable than early built 787s?
A:  There is no change in the level of safety between early and later built 787s.

Q: What actions are you taking to ensure the safety of the 787?
A: There is no higher priority than the safety of passengers and crew members flying onboard our airplanes. Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist.

We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.

Q: How can I find out about the flight test schedules in advance?
A: As a matter of long-standing policy Boeing does not provide advance notice of flight test activities until we have filed flight test plans. For the first flight of ZA005 and Line 86 with these changes, we will tweet the filing of the flight plan, takeoff and landing. We will also issue a statement following landing. We will not post updates on flights of these airplanes beyond that first flight for each.

Q: How can I track the progress of the flight tests?
A: There are several on-line sites that track flights. Our tweets will include airplane designators that will allow you to use these services.