Boeing begins new Dreamliner battery testing

Boeing has been forced to redesign the battery on the aircraft after a series of malfunctions saw the entire fleet of 50 Dreamliners presently in operation grounded earlier this year.

The American firm said in a statement it would analyse the data and prepare for another test flight.

The next flight is expected in the “coming days”.

The Dreamliner 787 is the first plane in the world to use the lithium-ion batteries, which are lighter, hold more

power and recharge more quickly.

However, incidents relating to battery malfunction earlier this year raised some concerns over its safety and led to the grounding of the fleet.

Boeing is thought to be losing £33 million per week because of the grounding of the 787 planes.

The manufacturer is also prevented from delivering new 787 planes to customers.