Situation Could Be Temporary While New Battery System Is Certified

One of the appeals of the 787 Dreamliner was its ability to travel long distances over oceans with just two engines ... its Extended Range Twin Engine Operational Performance, or ETOPS. But as the planemaker works to certify a new battery system, word comes that the FAA may limit the ETOPS range of the airplane, at least temporarily.

AirWise reports that Seattle aviation analyst Scott Hamilton said that, if the FAA limits the Dreamliner to over-land flights, it would be a "very damaging blow" to the program. The Leeham analyst said not allowing the airplane to fly over water would "undermine the business case for the airplane."

Another option reportedly under consideration would be to limit the airplane's flight time over water to two hours. A source in Japan said that it would be "completely within expectations" for the FAA to place a limit on ETOPS, which would cause Japanese operators to fly less direct routes and lose efficiency.

The FAA said it was too early to say if the ETOPS certification would be cancelled, modified, or left alone. The agency said through a spokesperson that they would be in a better position to answer that question after the battery testing is completed. Boeing is in the process of flight-testing the new battery system, and says that the FAA may lift its ban on revenue flights soon.

But limiting the ETOPS would mean that routes like Boston to Tokyo would not be in the airplane's range, and the return to full long-range ETOPS flights would likely be an incremental process, analysts said.

(Battery enclosure image provided by Boeing)

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.boeing.com