Regulators grounded 50 Dreamliners worldwide after batteries overheated on two separate flights last month. Only crew will be on board for Thursday's flight to move one 787 from a Boeing plant in Fort Worth to a plant near Seattle. Engineers will then study the plane and its batteries and look at ways to reduce fire risk.
DAVID GREENE, HOST: NPR's business news starts with Boeing's battery problem.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: Boeing's new fleet of Dreamliner 787 aircraft is grounded. But there is one in the air right now. The FAA cleared the plane's flight this morning from Fort Worth, Texas to Seattle. Engineers at the Boeing factory there will study the plane's lithium ion batteries and look for ways to reduce fire risk. Regulators around the world grounded the Dreamliner last month after batteries overheated on two planes. Only crew are aboard the 787 currently on its way to Seattle.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that Boeing is considering changes to the plane's lithium ion batteries, pending a long-term fix. The company would increase the distance between cells in the batteries to reduce the potential spread of heat.