In what is turning out to be one issue after the next, a Japan Airlines(JAL) reported that two of its 787 Dreamliners were turned around due to mechanical/electrical issues.  In the first instance, one of two anti-icing systems failed, which is necessary to prevent ice buildup around the engines.  In the second instance, an electrical system failure rendered six heads or toilets, unusable.

These issues follow the grounding of the entire 787 fleet in January due to a battery failure and fire on an All Nippon Airlines(ANA) flight, forcing it to make an emergency landing.  Then, in July, a fire broke out aboard an Ethiopian Airlines 787 while is was parked at Heathrow Airport.  Finally, in August, ANA said it had found damage to the battery wiring on two 787 locator transmitters during checks. US carrier United Airlines also found a pinched wire during an inspection of one of its six 787s.

Of course any completely new aircraft or car for that matter will have its share of mishaps and issues but they must be quickly rectified or Boeing may find itself losing market share despite the popularity of the revolutionary Dreamliner.    Certainly, Boeing can ill afford to experience another grounding of the 787, as previous issues, have been hurting it financially.  Earlier this week, JAL announced a $9.5 billion dollar deal with rival Airbus. It’s the first time that it has agreed to buy Airbus planes, having always chosen Boeing as its primary hauler.  But business is business, and the 787 is proving to be unreliable.  Any major catastrophe could spell doom for the plane that is otherwise aptly named the Dreamliner.