ロンドンのヒースロー空港に駐機しているエチオピア航空のボーイング787型機から火が出た、と12日午後4時半すぎに消防に通報があった。ヒースロー空港によると、航空機には搭乗者はなく、けが人も出ていないという。朝日新聞デジタルが伝えた。
この飛行機はヒースロー空港に到着してから8時間以上たっており、およそ4時間半後にエチオピアのアディスアベバに向けて出発する予定だったとNHKは伝えている。
ロイターによると、ヒースロー空港の広報担当者は「機内から出火した」と説明した。バッテリーに関連した出火かどうかは明らかでないが、エチオピア航空保有のボーイング787型機は米ゼネラル・エレクトリック 製のバッテリーを搭載している。このニュースを受け、アメリカ株式市場でボーイングの株価は一時7%急落した。
時事通信によると、ボーイング787型機をめぐっては、今年1月にアメリカ・ボストンの空港で日本航空機のバッテリーから発火するなどトラブルが相次ぎ、日本の国土交通省や米連邦航空局(FAA)は同型機の運航を停止させた。その後バッテリーに改善が施され、4月以降、各航空会社が順次運航を再開させていた。
欧州航空安全局(EASA)は12日、同機種が再度運航停止となる可能性について言及することは時期尚早との見解を示した。同局の報道官は「ボーイングのスタッフが今後調査を行う見通しで、われわれは決定を注意深く見守る」と語った。
ハフィントン・ポストイギリス版でも、「DREAMLINER NIGHTMARE(ドリームライナーの悪夢)」と題して速報を流し、事故原因や787型機のこれまでのトラブルについて解説している。
■用語
アメリカのボーイング社が開発した最新鋭の中型旅客機。愛称はドリームライナー。2011年、全日本空輸の成田-香港便が初就航。全日空がローンチ・カスタマー(最初に開発・製造に踏み切らせる大口注文主)であることや、同機の部品の3分の1が日本の航空機産業各社から調達されていることなどから、日本の「準国産機」などとも称揚される。
近年の航空路線の多様化や航空運賃の抑制傾向などを背景に、中型双発機ボーイング767などの後継機種として新たに787が開発された。787は、エンジンなどの一部を除き、機体の大部分を金属から炭素繊維などの複合素材に置き換えることで、機体の強さを増すとともに製造工程の簡素化も図っている。
中型機ながら航続距離は1万5千キロメートル前後あり、現存する長距離国際路線のほぼ全てについて直行運航が可能である。
（コトバンク「ボーイング787」より）
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