Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, the much-hyped aircraft set to become a crucial part of the fleets of many of the Gulf's top airlines, has been declared safe to fly by the US government - despite a fire, a fuel leak and other worrying incidents all in the past week.
On Monday, a fire ignited in the battery pack of a power unit on a Japan Airlines 787 as the plane sat on the tarmac at Boston's Logan International Airport. Also this week, a fuel leak delayed a flight from Boston to Tokyo of another Japan Airlines 787.
Then, on Friday, Japan's All Nippon Airways reported two incidents with the aircraft - an oil leak was found in the engine of one aircraft, while another saw glass in a cockpit window crack during a flight.
The 787 is the aircraft maker's newest and most technologically advanced airliner, and the company is known to be counting heavily on its success. Despite the incidents, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declared over the weekend: "I believe this plane is safe, and I would have absolutely no reservations about boarding one of these planes and taking a flight."
Qatar Airways, the UAE's Etihad Airways and Bahrain's Gulf Air have all placed major orders for the Dreamliner. The Qatari carrier was the first to receive the aircraft - and its CEO Akbar Al Baker last month warned Boeing he was "disappointed" after one of its first Dreamliners was grounded after an electrical fault.
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