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It’s now been three weeks since the FAA ordered the grounding of Boeing’s innovative 787 Dreamliner plane, and although the planes remain idle, there is a glimmer of hope – but just a glimmer at this point – that a fix may be on the way.

5 Easy Ways to Find Cheap Flights – No Dreamliner Needed

Boeing: Test Flights for Dreamliner

However, there is nothing definitive to report beyond Boeing’s request for test flights of its 787 aircraft. So far, the Federal Aviation Administration has received the request and it is under consideration.

Japan Scrubs Route

Meanwhile, the continued grounding of the 787 has reportedly forced Japan Airlines (JAL) to delay service to its new Tokyo to Helsinki route, which was to have launched Feb. 21 with Dreamliner aircraft.

Timeline: Boeing 787 Dreamliner Grounding

A brief timeline of the grounding and highlights of what we know so far. We begin with the latest information.

Day 21 (Feb. 5)

• News reports hint at a possible breakthrough citing Boeing’s request to the FAA to conduct test flights of the 787. An FAA spokesman is quoted as saying only that “Boeing has submitted an application to conduct test flights, and it is currently under evaluation by the FAA.” No word on when the request could be approved or denied.

Day 20 (Feb. 4)

• Japan Airlines suspends previously noted launch of a new Tokyo-Helsinki route.
• The Wall Street Journal reported Air India flew some empty Dreamliners to a more convenient (and cheaper) airport base. The carrier is not bound by FAA directives, but United Airlines is and the paper reports that the carrier has “a Dreamliner stuck in Tokyo, Qatar Airways has one in London while Polish carrier LOT has one in Chicago.”

Day 18 (Feb. 2)

• Boeing publishes an optimistic press release on its website titled, Boeing Mobilizes Resources: When the going gets tough, program teams get going. It states, “Boeing employees are no strangers to solving tough technical problems and achieving scientific breakthroughs,” but for the time being, the Dreamliner problem remains unsolved.
• United’s website offers no new updates on its Dreamliners.

Day 14 (Jan. 29)

• The New York Times reports that All Nippon Airways experienced “multiple problems” with the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries in the months before the grounding. The airline also told the times that problems with the batteries – believed to be a focus of Dreamliner’s current difficulties – led the carrier to replace 10 of them before their expiration date and that this information was relayed to Boeing.

Day 9 (Jan. 24)

• Boeing issues a statement saying it “welcomes the progress being made in the 787 investigation” but offers no information on what that progress entails. The statement adds that the safety of all onboard any of its airport is their “highest priority.”

Day 7 (Jan. 22)

• Reuters reports that Boeing customers are told the problems are “going to be fixed soon.”

Day 1 (Jan. 16)

• FAA orders Dreamliners grounded in the wake of problems including a battery fire, cracked windshield, fuel leaks and an emergency landing in Japan. No one is hurt in any of the incidents.
• Boeing CEO Jim McNerney issued a statement today saying, “Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities.” It also said Boeing has confidence in the plane’s “overall integrity.”
• Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who recently announced his departure, tells a reporter he’s had no pressure from Boeing to speed up the investigation, adding “All the smartest people in the world are trying to figure out what the fix is here and what went wrong and eventually they will.”