PARIS Airbus has dropped lithium-ion batteries of the type that forced the grounding of Boeing's 787...

1. Airbus drops lithium-ion batteries for A350 | Reuters
PARIS Airbus has dropped lithium-ion batteries of the type that forced the grounding of Boeing's 787
Dreamliner and will use traditional nickel-cadmium batteries in its crucially important next
passenger jet, the A350.
Switching to the heavier nickel-cadmium will mean adding 60-80 kilogram's to the weight of the
A350 -- reducing its payload capacity by the equivalent of an adult male passenger.
Lithium-ion batteries have been in consumer products such as mobile phones and laptop computers
for years but are relatively new to industrial applications such as back-up batteries for electrical
systems in jets or energy storage on wind farms.
Airbus, which has said the A350 timetable is "challenging," can ill afford such doubts over its largest
ever civil plane project and so has opted to eliminate its exposure to the risk that regulators might
change the rules.
The industry's fear is that the failure to identify the "root cause" of the burning battery incidents
leaves too much uncertainty over whether regulators will certify planes baterias, baterias agm,
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safe when relying on the powerful but temperamental power packs.
Without a clear cause for the battery problems and based on the same broad facts that are available
to its arch-competitor Airbus, Boeing would need to demonstrate the risks are minimal.
Airbus parent EADS shares rose 0.4 percent on Friday, while shares in French battery maker Saft
fell over one percent. Saft developed the lithium-ion battery for the A350 but is also Airbus's supplier
for older types on all models. A spokeswoman said Saft supported Airbus's decision.
"We want to mature the lithium-ion technology but we are making this decision today to protect the
A350's entry-into-service schedule," an Airbus spokeswoman said.
The A350 is due to enter service in the second half of 2014 compared with an initial target of 2012
when it was launched as Europe's answer to the lightweight 787 Dreamliner.
The European planemaker said on Friday it had taken the decision to adopt the batteries used on
existing models such as the A380 superjumbo in order to prevent delays in the A350's entry to
service next year.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Dominique Vidalon; editing by Janet McBride and Giles Elgood)
"Nothing we learned during the design of the 787 or since has led us to change our fundamental
assessment of the technology," a spokesman said.
Uncertainty over whether Airbus can be sure of certifying the A350 with the new batteries, in time
for delivery in the second half of next year, illustrates the scale of the task Boeing faces in

2. persuading U.S. regulators to let it fly the 787.
Both Airbus and Boeing insist the new battery technology is safe. But beyond any debate over safety,
questions have arisen over its "maturity" or predictability. Engineers aim to minimize uncertainty
because it translates into financial risk.
DOUBTS OVER TECHNICAL MATURITY
Industry executives, insurance companies and safety officials had told Reuters the technology's
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barata, baterias para energia solar levels as investigators struggle to find the cause of incidents that
led to the grounding of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
That is usually more than enough for planemakers to fight over when marketing the fuel savings of
their jets, but Airbus has decided it is outweighed by the risks of further delay.
Boeing said last week it had selected lithium-ion batteries because they best met the performance
and design objectives of the 787.
These included a fire on board a parked 787 in Boston and an in-flight problem on another plane in
Japan.
Airbus will use the lithium-ion batteries for a maiden flight in mid-year and early flight trials but
switch to traditional batteries in time for certification and delivery.
People familiar with the matter say it has developed a fix involving a tough casing for the lithium-ion
battery.

3. Reuters had reported that Airbus was considering such a move to limit the risks surrounding the
development of its $15 billion airliner.