Boeing 787 flights to resume after FAA's approval

Service was suspended in January after several incidents involving the plane's lithium-ion batteries, one of which resulted in fire. The cause of the incidents has not been completely determined, but Boeing came up with a fix that provides more insulation between cells, and that satisfied government officials. It's worth noting that the batteries are in use most heavily when the plane is on the ground, so the problem could seem a lot scarier than it probably is. Still, when smoke is coming out of your brand-new revolutionary aircraft, it's not great. Service is expected to resume in a few weeks. The FAA's decision only applies to United, which is currently the sole U.S. carrier that flies the 787. But overseas airlines are expected to follow the U.S. lead. Eventually, the plane will have a major presence at LAX because of its long range and energy efficiency (good for overseas flights). Before the grounding order, United had begun service from L.A. to Tokyo; other carriers were using the plane out of LAX as well. From the NYT:

The decision was a major milestone for Boeing and its innovative jet. Aviation analysts said the battery problems this year had cost Boeing hundreds of millions of dollars and slowed its progress in fielding the planes, which reduce fuel costs by 20 percent and have been in great demand by the airlines. Boeing's shares were up by 0.8 percent to $86.79 a share at midday Friday. The 50 jets delivered so far were grounded worldwide after two incidents in January in which the volatile batteries caught fire or emitted smoke. Boeing has said the new battery systems are ready to go, and it would install them on the planes it has already delivered before changing the jets still in production. Boeing's fix includes more insulation between each of the eight cells in the batteries. The batteries will also be encased in a new steel box designed to contain any fire and vent possible smoke or hazardous gases out of the planes.