A little over a year after it entered commercial service, the much-hyped Boeing 787 Dreamliner has run into safety-related hurdles that have forced airlines to ground the aircraft the world over.

With aviation regulators - including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - asking airlines not to operate the 787 in view of the recent spate of snags, the “dream” of flying the technologically advanced jet seems to have turned sour, at least for now.  

Besides raising serious safety concerns, the move to ground the aircraft is also expected to affect schedules and lead to passenger inconvenience. Airlines may also incur losses owing to the adjustments they will have to make in view of the latest developments.

Not willing to take any chances, carriers across the globe, including Qatar Airways, United Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL) and Air India, have decided to temporarily ground their fleet of 787s.

Boeing, while regretting the impact the recent events have had on its customers and passengers, has maintained that it is confident about the 787’s safety that it stands by the aircraft’s “overall integrity”. But the aircraft manufacturer has its task cut out and has to act swiftly if it wants users to regain confidence in its prestigious Dreamliner project.

A series of recent mishaps, which include fuel leaks, a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire, have triggered such stern reaction from regulators and carriers. The focus is now on the lithium-ion batteries used on the aircraft in light of two cases of smoke being reported on Dreamliners – one on an ANA flight in Japan and another on a JAL plane in the US.

In the ANA incident, a 787 with 129 people on board made an emergency landing at Takamatsu in Japan following a smoke alarm. This prompted regulators to crack the whip.

The magnitude of the problem can be gauged from the fact that this is the first time in 34 years that the FAA has ordered the grounding of an entire aircraft model. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 had its airworthiness certificate suspended after a fatal crash in Chicago in 1979.

Boeing has delivered 50 Dreamliners till date, with ANA and JAL accounting for the lion’s share (24). Qatar Airways has five 787s while United Airlines (US) and Air India have six each. The other airlines that operate the aircraft are Ethiopian Airlines, LAN Airlines (Chile) and LOT Polish Airlines.

Expressing concern over the safety of passengers and crew, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar
al-Baker has asserted that the airline will resume flying the Dreamliner only when it becomes clear that the plane is safe. Last month, one of the airline’s 787s had experienced a problem with a power generator.

Carriers such as LOT, Europe’s only carrier to operate the Dreamliner, have hinted that they may go to the extent of seeking compensation from Boeing for the disruptions caused by the recent events.

What was meant to be a breakthrough technology, which involved the use of battery-powered electronics rather than hydraulics, has now emerged as a major headache for Boeing. The need of the hour, say analysts, is careful crisis management.