Most Dreamliners Back in Service by This Weekend

On Saturday, June 1, LOT Polish Airlines and Japan Airlines will follow five other airlines in resuming 787 operations, after problems with the advanced-technology plane’s battery system resulted in a three-and-a-half-month grounding while Boeing diagnosed the issue and retrofitted upgraded parts.

Of the eight 787 customers affected by the worldwide grounding, that will leave only LAN with no in-service 787s. The carrier tentatively plans to resume operations on July 1, with flights between Santiago, Chile, and Los Angeles.

Chronology of Dreamliner Issues, Events

• On April 29, Ethiopian Airlines resumed 787 operations with a flight between Addis Ababa and Nairobi, the first commercial flight since the planes were grounded in January.
• On April 19, the FAA approved Boeing’s proposed redesign of the 787’s battery systems, including a modified battery and new enclosure that vents gas and smoke to the plane’s exterior.
• On February 9 and 11, Boeing completed two test flights, using one of six 787 test planes specially fitted with electronic tools to monitor and diagnose battery-related issues. Both flights were “uneventful.”
• On January 16, the FAA ordered all U.S. Dreamliners gounded until the safety issued could be sorted out. The move prompted a worldwide grounding.
• On January 15, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines suspended all 787 flights following a battery malfunction that resulted in an emergency landing.
• At least partly in response to the service suspensions by Japanese carriers, Qatar Airways canceled a scheduled 787 flight from London to Doha.
• On January 13, a fuel leak was discovered on a Japan Airlines 787 at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
• On January 11, the FAA announced that it would subject the 787 Dreamliner to an unusual post-launch “review.”
• On January 7, a fire broke out on a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston.
• A fire similar to the one in Boston had been reported during the 787’s testing phase in 2010.
• In December, an electrical malfunction forced a United Airlines 787 to make an emergency landing.
• Later that same month, United reported that the same issue had been discovered on a second Dreamliner.
• Also in December, Qatar Airlines grounded one of its 787s because of electrical issues.
• On December 5, the FAA ordered inspections of potential fuel-line leaks on all 787s.

About the 787 Dreamliner

The Dreamliner is Boeing’s most advanced airliner, featuring such cutting-edge technology as lithium-ion batteries and a composite-plastic body.

The first 787 was received by ANA in September 2011, and since then 50 787s have been delivered to eight airline customers, including United.

The company has taken orders for 844 Dreamliners, and Boeing hopes to sell as many as 5,000 during the lifetime of the plane.

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.