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Boeing 787 remains grounded in Tokyo

Tokyo - A Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 Dreamliner remained grounded at Tokyo's Narita International Airport on Wednesday as regulators demanded checks to see if the aircraft was fit to fly, a day after white smoke vented from the plane and a battery cell showed signs of melting.

The incident comes a year after JAL and ANA Holdings grounded their Dreamliner fleets after separate issues with batteries overheating. All of Boeing's 787s were then taken out of service for more than three months while the plane manufacturer sought a fix for the problem.

ANA said its 787s were operating normally on Wednesday.

Reduce weight

"The incident only happened on Tuesday, so it's difficult to say when checks, or any repairs, would be complete," said an official from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.

The agency will oversee inspections of the power pack by battery maker GS Yuasa Corp, JAL and Boeing.

The latest incident with Boeing's state-of-the-art plane, which is built with carbon-fibre composite materials and a powerful electrical system to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency, raises new concerns about the plane's safety and reliability.

Boeing said it was "aware of the 787 issue that occurred at Narita, which appears to have involved the venting of a single battery cell." Venting is the process of fumes and heat being channelled outside the battery casing and the aircraft when the battery overheats.

Losses

It noted the issue took place during scheduled maintenance with no passengers on board.

"The improvements made to the 787 battery system last year appear to have worked as designed," it added.

Boeing shares closed down 0.5% at $140.01 on the New York Stock Exchange.

The issue of who will pay for any losses incurred by keeping the jet from flying will be determined after the plane is back in the air, said a spokesperson for Japan Airlines, which operates 13 Dreamliners.

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