Boost for Boeing as FAA agrees 787 fix Boeing's troubled Dreamliner has taken a step closer to returning to flight after the US's main aviation regulator approved the commercial aircraft maker's proposals to upgrade the 787"s trouble-prone batteries. The decision on Monday by the Federal Aviation Administration comes after Boeing last month proposed a solution to the problems that would improve insulation between battery cells, put the battery in a fire-resistant box and allow smoke from any overheating to vent outside the aircraft. All 50 787s so far delivered to customers have been grounded since January 16 after the second of two severe overheating incidents in batteries within 10 days. In the first, on January 7 in Boston, the battery on a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire shortly after the aircraft had arrived from Tokyo. In the second incident, on January 16, an All Nippon Airways 787 was forced to make an emergency landing in western Japan after a battery started emitting smoke. Ray LaHood, US transportation secretary, said there would be an extensive programme of testing of aircraft fitted with a prototype version of the proposed fix to see if it operated as designed. "We won't allow the plane to return to service unless we're satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers," he said. Neither the FAA nor Boeing would say when the grounded aircraft might be able to return to normal commercial service.