Boeing apologizes to Japanese airlines for 787 grounding
TOKYO - A top Boeing Co. official apologized Thursday to Japan's leading airlines for the grounding of the 787 Dreamliner.
Ray Conner, the head of Boeing's Commercial Airplanes Division, is on a whirlwind tour of Japan, apologizing for continuing problems with the Dreamliner.
His first stop was All Nippon Airways. It was one of that airline's 787s that was forced to make an emergency landing because of a lithium-ion battery problem.
Conner apologized on behalf of Boeing - and the 170,000 people he represents. He said the incidents that led to the grounding of the entire fleet of 787s has been "deeply regretful."
"I want to first apologize for the fact that we've had two incidents with our two very precious customers, ANA and JAL," Conner said.
He is heading up a Boeing delegation that went overseas for discussions with Japanese government officials, airliners and suppliers.
Japanese airlines fly more than half of the 50 Dreamliners currently in service - though for the past six weeks, Dreamliners around the world have sat on the tarmac after they were grounded.
Conner told ANA officials that boeing is ready to propose a new set of "permanent fixes" to the safety issues that have grounded the Dreamliner.
"What we did today was discuss the solutions that we are looking at that could be the final solution to getting the airplane back in the air flying again," he said.
But Japanese investigators have maintained that there's still not enough evidence to show that the batteries themselves are the cause of fires, and that some type of "shock" could have caused them to overheat.
American investigators have publicly disagreed, saying that there was no such surge in electrical current from outside the battery.
Conner said the 787 is still the "game-changing aircraft it is meant to be" - offering airlines the cost savings they were looking for.
Ray Conner, the head of Boeing's Commercial Airplanes Division, is on a whirlwind tour of Japan, apologizing for continuing problems with the Dreamliner.
His first stop was All Nippon Airways. It was one of that airline's 787s that was forced to make an emergency landing because of a lithium-ion battery problem.
Conner apologized on behalf of Boeing - and the 170,000 people he represents. He said the incidents that led to the grounding of the entire fleet of 787s has been "deeply regretful."
"I want to first apologize for the fact that we've had two incidents with our two very precious customers, ANA and JAL," Conner said.
He is heading up a Boeing delegation that went overseas for discussions with Japanese government officials, airliners and suppliers.
Japanese airlines fly more than half of the 50 Dreamliners currently in service - though for the past six weeks, Dreamliners around the world have sat on the tarmac after they were grounded.
Conner told ANA officials that boeing is ready to propose a new set of "permanent fixes" to the safety issues that have grounded the Dreamliner.
"What we did today was discuss the solutions that we are looking at that could be the final solution to getting the airplane back in the air flying again," he said.
But Japanese investigators have maintained that there's still not enough evidence to show that the batteries themselves are the cause of fires, and that some type of "shock" could have caused them to overheat.
American investigators have publicly disagreed, saying that there was no such surge in electrical current from outside the battery.
Conner said the 787 is still the "game-changing aircraft it is meant to be" - offering airlines the cost savings they were looking for.
Thank goodness they were able to save all that money in the short term by outsourcing.
@stringbean Thank goodness that there are plenty of people with very little knowledge of the highly complex nature of something like this but think they can narrow it all down to... outsourcing... keeps me amused.  I needed a good laugh. Thanks.
@Sovereign Well at the rate the country is dropping education funding eventually we will have to in or outsource workers because the domestic ones we going to have here at this rate will be only smart enough to work as greeters at walmart!
Boeing saying how sorry it is about how their plastic plane can't fly with its plastic battery...
If I had spent a jillion dollars on an airplane I couldn't fly, an apology would be nice but wouldn't cut it, I would still be pissed.
@al_wa You obviously don't remember the Toyota trial where the owner publicly apologies as well... this is a respectful action Boeing is returning - They will get the issue repaired and the planes will return to the skies... no doubt in my mind
@al_waThough it's not mentioned in the article, formal, public apologies like this are critical in Japanese culture. Businesspeople worldwide recognize that problems will occur, but it would have been a major insult to business partners such as the Japanese airlines if Boeing had not apologized. Certainly it does nothing in itself to solve the problem, but it does a great deal toward preserving the relationship.
@al_wa Oh get over yourself. Â There is a lot more to it than what the media reports. Â