FAA head says Boeing 787 fix needs extensive testing before flights can resume

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration says he expects a recommendation from his staff next week on whether to accept Boeing’s plan to fix its troubled 787 Dreamliners. But Administrator Michael Huerta told a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday that passenger service won’t resume until extensive testing proves the problems with its lithium-ion batteries are solved.

Huerta told lawmakers the FAA continues reviewing Boeing’s proposal to revamp the 787’s batteries to prevent them from catching fire, or to protect the plane in case a fire breaks out.

He declined to say when he might make a final decision on the plan, once he receives the recommendation.

“Once we approve the plan, there will be a great deal of testing, a great deal of further analysis and re-engineering before these planes are back in the air,” Huerta said.

Boeing presented its plan to FAA officials last Friday. It includes modifications to the lithium-ion batteries and a metal containment box around them to vent flames, smoke or chemicals outside the plane if the batteries overheat or catch fire.

In his first comments on the Boeing proposal, Huerta called the plan “comprehensive,” and said it addresses several potential causes of a battery fire in a 787 parked in Boston and a smoking battery in another 787 that caused the planes to be grounded last month.

“Any re-engineering and how it gets built is still to be worked out,” Huerta said, meaning it will likely be several months at the earliest before airlines can resume operating 787s.

The FAA granted Boeing permission to fly two test flights as it gathered data for a proposed fix. But Huerta told the panel the company has not requested any more test flights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report