Air India probing overheated oven on Dreamliner flight

An oven in a Boeing Co Dreamliner operated by Air India overheated during a domestic flight this week causing smoke but did not interrupt services, the state-run Indian carrier said, adding an investigation has begun.

India's aviation regulator said it was examining the incident and had sought a report from Air India.

The incident follows a fire earlier this month on a parked Ethiopian Airlines-owned 787 Dreamliner and caused extensive damage to the plane. The entire global fleet of Dreamliners was grounded for three months earlier this year due to separate battery-related problems.

Separately, Japan's ANA Holdings, which operates the world's biggest fleet of Dreamliners, said on Friday it found damage to the battery wiring on two 787

locator beacons.

The overheating of the oven during a July 24 flight from New Delhi to Kolkata did not cause a fire, an Air India spokesman said, adding they were in touch with Boeing over the issue.

"Even if there is a minor incident, it is always referred to investigation," the Air India spokesman said.

Boeing said in a statement it was aware of the issue and was working with Air India.

"Prima facie we feel that it's something to do with the oven, not with the machine (plane) as such," Arun Mishra, who heads India's civil aviation regulator, said over phone, but added he can comment further only after getting the investigation report.

Air India, which is the only Indian carrier so far to operate Dreamliner planes, has placed seven of the jets and has orders for 20 more.