THAI stands by Dreamliner | Bangkok Post: business

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THAI stands by Dreamliner

Thai Airways International (THAI) on Thursday said it was standing by its purchase order for eight Dreamliners despite the mass grounding of the aircraft by the international aviation community amid continuing safety concerns.

Sorachak Kasemsuwan, the airline’s president, said the first of the Boeing flagship 787 Dreamliners was due for delivery at the end of next year. This meant there was almost two years for the aircraft’s problems to be solved before the company took delivery of its first one.

Mr Sorachak made the comment after regulators and airlines on Thursday grounded nearly all of the world's 787 Dreamliner fleet until a fire risk linked to the plane's batteries is fixed, deepening a crisis for US titan Boeing that threatens to last weeks.

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Your comments

  • Discussion 8 : 18 Jan 2013 at 15.458

    Khun Bubbs #7, I don't think Boeing makes its own battery!

  • Discussion 7 : 18 Jan 2013 at 08.277

    Fortunately the rules in aviation are very stringent. Imagine if it was a Thai plane made in Thailand, "oh well it's only batteries" we'll keep it flying.
    It also shows you problems when everything is outsourced to save a few sheckles

  • Discussion 6 : 18 Jan 2013 at 08.246

    Anyone old enough to remember the DC-10 in the 1970's and the failure to ground those until after a 3rd fatal crash in 1979 should be relieved the American FAA is now putting safety before corporate profits and image.

  • Discussion 5 : 18 Jan 2013 at 08.185

    The bad news for the Dreamliner is that (Li-ion) battery explosion and resulting fire is a serious problem on the ground and a deadly one in the air. The good news is that it only involves only a subsystem, which can be isolated and fixed. And unlike the A-380, at least, its wings are not cracking and engines blowing up.

  • Discussion 4 : 17 Jan 2013 at 22.424

    Standing by the B787 they have not paid for or taken delivery of yet. Airbus A380 continues to be plagued with problems as well; the nature of the business of every new aircraft model the past 25+ years.

  • Discussion 3 : 17 Jan 2013 at 22.293

    Agree with D1..it will be a great plane, same as the 777 had teething problems but is now one the the nicest planes to fly. I wouldn't give up on it, but I wouldn't fly it just yet.

  • Discussion 2 : 17 Jan 2013 at 21.482

    So what if they catch fire and crash now and then.

  • Discussion 1 : 17 Jan 2013 at 21.421

    The Dreamliner will turn out to be one of the best aircraft ever. "If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going."

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