Airbus Nixes Lithium-Ion Battery for A350
Airbus has reverted to 'Plan B' for the main-ship battery requirements of the A350XWB. (Photo: Airbus)
Airbus has reverted to 'Plan B' for the main-ship battery requirements of the A350XWB. (Photo: Airbus)

Airbus has decided against using a lithium-ion main ship battery for the A350 XWB following the findings by the U.S. National Transportation Board of short-circuiting and “thermal runaway” in the APU battery that caught fire on January 7 in a Japan Air Lines Boeing 787. A similar incident occurred with the main battery on an All Nippon Airways 787 flying a domestic route over Japan on January 16, prompting a worldwide grounding of the Dreamliner fleet.