TOKYO: All Boeing Dreamliners operating in Japan must remain grounded until their batteries are confirmed to be safe, the government said Thursday, following a similar order in the US.
"Following the FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration) decision, Boeing 787s will not be allowed to fly until their battery safety is assured," said Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japan's vice transport minister, adding that a formal order would be issued later Thursday.
The comments come after a probable battery leak emerged as the focus of the investigation into the forced emergency landing of an All Nippon Airways (ANA) Dreamliner in Japan on Wednesday.
They also come after the FAA ordered that 787 Dreamliners in the United States stop flying until a fire risk linked to their lithium-ion batteries was resolved, dealing a huge blow to Boeing and its next-generation aircraft.
Lithium-ion batteries of different specifications are widely used in consumer electronics such as laptops and mobile phones.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and rival ANA -- which together operate half the world's Dreamliners -- voluntarily grounded their fleets after the ANA flight made an emergency landing in southwestern Japan.
India's transport safety agency said on Wednesday it was also launching a probe of the fuel-efficient Dreamliner.
Kajiyama on Thursday said officials investigating the safety scare "reported that there are problems in the battery" and other parts of the plane.
"Just by observing with the naked eye, the battery showed abnormalities, but electricity-linked equipment is complex so we need more investigation," he said.
Electrolyte leaks and burn marks have been found on the battery's metal casing, ANA said, with officials from the Japan Transport Safety Board working on the principle that it overheated, Kyodo News reported.
"Liquid leaked through the room floor to the inside of the outer wall of the aircraft," the agency quoted investigator Hideyo Kosugi as saying.
Japan's Transport Minister Akihiro Ota earlier described the emergency landing as a "serious incident that could have led to a serious accident".
Embattled Boeing on Wednesday backed its Dreamliner, considered an aviation milestone for its use of lightweight carbon fibre materials and advanced electronics systems.
"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity," Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said in a statement.
"We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service."
Boeing, whose shares make up part of the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, tumbled 3.4 percent on Wednesday.
The FAA order means 30 of the world's 50 Dreamliners have been grounded, with the two Japanese carriers operating almost half the world's fleet.
United Airlines, the world's biggest airline, is currently the only US airline operating the 787, with six aircraft in service.
Speaking after the FAA announcement, an ANA spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires: "We'll examine the information we've gotten so far and exchange information further as necessary and will attempt to take appropriate steps as soon as possible."
The carrier, which together with JAL has invested billions of dollars in the Dreamliner with a combined order totalling 111 aircraft, "has not made any" decisions over future use of the aircraft, she added.
A spokesman for JAL said it was too early to comment on the FAA decision but added that "we will continue to collect information".
In Tokyo trading on Thursday, ANA shares were down 0.54 percent to 181 yen by the midday break while Japan Airlines was off 0.27 percent at 3,665 yen.
- AFP/al
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