Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for test flight
Boeing employees work on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for United Airlines on September 25, 2011 in Everett, Washington.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Everett, Washington on Monday for the first of two test flights aimed at showing regulators the aircraft’s redesigned lithium-ion battery system is safe.
The Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators grounded Boeing’s high-tech planes in January after batteries overheated on two separate aircraft within two weeks.
Monday’s flight plan can be viewed on the FlightAware website.
"Following the completion of the functional check flight, we will analyze the data from the flight and prepare for certification ground and flight demonstration in the coming days," Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel was quoted by USA Today as saying.
"The plan is to conduct one certification demonstration flight."
Earlier this month, Boeing announced a plan to fix the batteries and reduce the risk of fire breaking out in the battery system.
The redesign involves “insulating and spacing out parts in the battery unit, reducing charging levels so the battery can not be overcharged and enclosing the lithium-ion batteries in stainless-steel cases so little oxygen can get at them,” the LA Times reported.
More from GlobalPost: Boeing battery cleared in Dreamliner problems
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