NEW YORK (AP) — Airbus said Thursday it is dropping lithium-ion batteries from its new A350 airplane because of uncertainty surrounding the technology that has led to the grounding of Boeing’s 787.
The European planemaker said it has decided to revert to conventional nickel-cadmium batteries for the A350. The plane is a wide-body longrange jet rival to the 787 and is expected to make its first flight around the middle of the year.
Airbus says it does not expect the battery switch to lead to a setback in the A350’s schedule.
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