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Dreamliner glitches spark concern

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 40 gallons 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 July 23, 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.

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