As Boeing Co. tests fixes
to the batteries of its 787 Dreamliners, it now faces the challenge of
persuading passengers that the jetliner will be safe to fly when it
resumes commercial service.
The efforts include
sending surveys to frequent fliers, aviation enthusiasts and others to
gauge attitudes toward the Dreamliner.
But safety experts say
part of the Chicago plane maker's evolving public relations strategy
also involves playing down the severity of the burning lithium-ion
battery incidents, which prompted the grounding of the 787 over nine
weeks ago.
The moves point to a new
chapter in the 787 drama. Tests of a redesigned lithium-ion battery
system, begun this month, appear to be going well, and people familiar
with the situation say a final U.S. government sign-off on the fixes
could come as soon as the end of the month, even though investigators
still don't know exactly what caused the batteries to overheat.
But the resumption of
commercial flights as early as April puts pressure on Boeing and
airlines that fly 787s to persuade the public that the fixes are
sufficient, despite the continuing mystery about what caused the
incidents.
"I don't think there's
any question that we have an airplane that has gone through some
challenges, and those challenges have been very public," Randy Tinseth,
Boeing vice president of marketing, said in an interview last week.
"What we have to do is make sure everyone involved that touches this
airplane, in any way, really understands" the 787's benefits.
Boeing is testing fixes to its 787 batteries. Above,amodel of the redesigned battery shown in Tokyo Friday.
Spokesman Marc Birtel
said that while Boeing is focused on the testing, marketing efforts for
the Dreamliner are being "prepared to respond to the needs of our
customers and their passengers" when the 787 returns to flight. Mr.
Birtel said surveys have been "stepped up" in recent months and the
results will remain confidential, though Boeing plans to share the
fruits of its research to help Dreamliner customers craft their own
marketing plans.
Boeing officials maintain
that they are releasing factual data about battery behavior over the
years and are on the same page with the National Transportation Safety
Board, which has been leading the probe of 787 battery malfunctions. In a
separate email statement, Boeing said it "recognizes the seriousness of
the events, and that's been reflected in the actions and statements of
the company, including in press briefings last week."
Part of the strategy appears to be Boeing's recent public statements on the nature of the battery incidents.
Aviation experts have
traditionally placed smoke and fire events among the biggest aviation
safety risks. Last month, safety board chairman Deborah Hersman said
"the expectation in aviation is never to experience a fire aboard an
aircraft."
From the beginning,
Boeing has said any fire on an aircraft is a serious issue. But in two
press briefings last week, senior Boeing managers provided different,
less serious descriptions than Ms. Hersman in discussing the 787's
battery problems. Mike Sinnett, the 787's chief engineer, told reporters
that "in the last 10 years, there have been thousands upon thousands"
of battery malfunctions on commercial planes, making such events a
reality of airline operations, adding that "many of them have resulted
in smoke and fire."
But Mr. Sinnett and other
Boeing officials have emphasized that safe flight of the planes wasn't
endangered because other safety systems kicked in as planned.
Ron Hinderberger, another
veteran 787 engineer, said fallout from battery failures "happens on
our airplanes week in and week out."
Some observers see a
budding conflict. "They have decided to directly take on the NTSB," said
Michael Barr, who teaches aviation safety at the University of Southern
California. "Downplaying the initial hazard usually isn't a good
approach," he added, "particularly if another 787 suffers" a battery
problem.
Former airline pilot John
Cox, a veteran accident investigator who now runs an air-safety
consulting firm based in Washington, challenged Boeing's assessment. "I
certainly wouldn't characterize the events that way," he said, adding
"they were nowhere close to being routine."
Ray Valeika, former Delta
Air Lines head of maintenance and engineering, said that over the
course of his 35-year aviation career, he couldn't recall a single case
of another aircraft battery catching fire on a jetliner operated by a
major U.S. carrier.
Last week, Boeing
Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Ray Conner voiced his confidence in
the Dreamliner's safety and pledged to be a passenger on the first
commercial flight.
Boeing's surveys include
postcard-size questionnaires passed out to tour groups visiting the
company's jetliner factory in Everett, Wash., which includes the 787's
final assembly line. They have also been sent to a network of thousands
of enthusiasts who previously signed up to receive updates on the
plane's development.
Boeing's survey questions
include whether fliers agree more with the statement "I will go out of
my way to fly the Dreamliner," or "I will actively avoid flying on the
Dreamliner." The Web questionnaires ask for three words that come to
mind in conjunction with the Dreamliner.
The company has also
targeted curious Web users. When people search such terms as "Dreamliner
Fire" or "787 batteries" on Google, the top item they get is a
sponsored link directing them to a page labeled "FAA Approves Boeing
Plan." There, they can read details of Boeing's changes to the jet's
lithium-ion batteries.
Hayes Roth, the chief
marketing officer for brand consulting firm Landor Associates, said
Boeing has a short public attention span working in its favor. "If
Dreamliner has a worse problem, then you have a very different issue,"
he said, but the problems so far have been "a topical issue...it always
ends. It's not interesting forever."
Boeing's strategy is
gaining traction among many industry officials. James May, former chief
executive of the major industry group representing large U.S. passenger
and cargo carriers, expects passenger confidence to rebound quickly if
the fixes work as well as expected. In the absence of another emergency,
he said, within six months "the issue will die away" and concerns about
the 787 will disappear "way in the back of people's minds."
Source: http://online.wsj.com
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