Boeing’s new 787 battery system completes certification testing

EVERETT, Wash., 5 April 2013. Boeing (NYSE:BA) officials have completed a 787 certification demonstration flight on a Boeing-owned production airplane built for LOT Polish Airlines, marking the final certification test for the new battery system and completing the testing required by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The final test flight departed from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 10:39 a.m. Pacific today with a crew of 11 onboard, including two representatives from the FAA. The airplane flew for 1 hour and 49 minutes before landing at Paine Field at 12:28 p.m. Pacific.

The purpose of the flight was to demonstrate that the new battery system performs as intended during normal and non-normal flight conditions. The crew reported that the certification demonstration plan was straightforward and the flight was uneventful.

Boeing staff will gather and analyze the data, and submit the required materials to the FAA.

“We expect to deliver all of the materials to the FAA in the coming days,” says a representative. “Once we deliver the materials, we stand ready to reply to additional requests and continue in dialog with the FAA to ensure we have met all their expectations.”