Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines have conducted checks on their Boeing 787 fleets as a precautionary measure, after an incident onboard an Ethiopian Airlines 787 on 12 July.
Both carriers said their "visual inspections" found no irregularities or safety threats, and that their 787 operations have not been disrupted. Their inspections were focused on the rear of the aircraft.
"We decided to do a visual inspection since we still don't know what really happened on the Ethiopian aircraft. We found nothing unusual," says an ANA spokesman.
Japan Airlines adds that the checks were undertaken as a precautionary measure and not sparked by any recommendations from Boeing or the country's transport ministry.
So far, the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has stopped short of describing the incident on board the Ethiopian Airlines' 787 as a fire, and said only that there is no evidence that links the event to the aircraft's lithium-ion batteries.
Supplier Honeywell has since confirmed that it has joined the investigation. Among other components, Honeywell supplies the 406MHz emergency locater transmitter whose antenna is visible amid the most serious burn marks atop the crown of the 787 fuselage.
ANA and JAL are the world's largest operators of the 787. Flightglobal Pro data shows that ANA has received 20 787-8s and has another 16 787-8s and 30 787-9s on order. JAL has received nine 787-8s, with 15 yet to be delivered. It has also ordered 20 787-9s.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
