Demand For The Airliner Had Declined Following Battery Issue

In what may be a breakthrough for Boeing as it continues to work on getting the Dreamliner fleet back into revenue service, International Airlines Group (AIG) said Wednesday that it plans to acquire 18 of the composite airliners, placing firm orders as it looks to upgrade the British Airways fleet. IAG is the parent company of the UK airline.

The new 787s would replace some of BAs older 747-400 airplanes with deliveries beginning in 2017. The last would delivered in 2021m according to a report from Reuters.

The order is in addition to 24 Dreamliners that are already in the pipeline for British Airways.

Boeing and IAG are also discussing a deal for an unspecified number of 747s for Iberia Airline, another IAG company. But that deal won't be finalized until the Spanish carrier emerges from a restructuring designed to cut its expenses.

Orders for Dreamliners had all but dried up after JAL and All Nippon Airways experienced problems with the batteries overheating, with one catching fire on aboard a JAL 787 on January 7th while the plane was on the ground at Boston Logan International Airport. Boeing says it has completed about half of the testing that will be necessary to return the airplanes to revenue service.

(Image provided by Boeing)

FMI: www.iairgroup.com, www.boeing.com