Boeing Expects 'Fast' 787 Moves After FAA Approvals

The chief of Boeing Co.'s commercial unit says the return of its flagship 787 Dreamliner to service hinges on Federal Aviation Administration approval of the plane maker's proposal to modify the jet's errant lithium-ion batteries.

Ray Conner, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said Monday that once FAA approvals are received, "this will move really fast" as the company plans to quickly advance to flight testing and certification of its package of changes. Modification of the 50 delivered Dreamliners and dozens of built but undelivered 787s would follow, and the designs would then be incorporated into Boeing's production lines.

"We feel very good about this fix," Mr. Conner said. "We've covered the waterfront, so to speak about all the [potential causes] that" could have made the 787's batteries burn, says Mr. Conner, who didn't provide a specific time ine for the regulator's approval. He added, "we wouldn't take it forward if we didn't feel good about [the changes]."

Mr. Conner was speaking at an aerospace and defense conference in New York and has been on a multicity tour to speak to investors, airline customers and regulators to explain the company's proposal to modify the 787's batteries. The FAA and other regulators around the world ordered the 787 grounded on Jan. 16 after twin failures on Dreamliners operated by two Japanese airlines earlier that month.

Boeing faces the task of explaining to regulators that its changes address all possible threats to the battery, without knowing definitively what caused the incidents in January. The proposed changes were formally submitted to the FAA on Feb. 22 and to regulators and safety investigators in Japan last week, Mr. Conner said.

"We are addressing everything that could go wrong in the proper manner," he said.

Mr. Conner didn't provide specifics regarding the planned modifications. He said Boeing has compiled 200,000 hours of analysis and testing on what might have gone wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.

According to government and industry officials, Boeing will modify the battery to include additional spacing between its eight lithium-ion cells; placing the battery inside a new containment box in case of a fire; new monitoring of the battery's cells; and the ability to vent smoke or fumes outside the aircraft.

Mr. Conner emphasized that the company's plan to double production of the Dreamliner to 10 jets a month by year-end is unchanged, but said that there is a chance "that could change if something were to go sideways with the FAA" approval of Boeing's battery plan.

The grounding of the 787 has occupied much of Mr. Conner's attention in recent weeks and has "slowed things down a bit" on the company's plan to launch new 787 and 777 models.