(MENAFN) European plane maker Airbus has quit plans to use lithium-ion batteries in its crucially important next passenger jet, the A350, and use traditional nickel-cadmium batteries instead, Reuters reported.
The decision came after industry executives, insurance companies and safety officials revealed that questions are piling up over the "maturity" or predictability of lithium-ion technology, as US and Japanese investigators struggle to find the cause of incidents that led to the Boeing's 787 Dreamliner grounding crisis.
An Airbus spokeswoman said "We want to mature the lithium-ion technology but we are making this decision today to protect the A350's entry-into-service schedule".
Airbus wants to evade delays in the A350's entry to service next year, amid uncertainty over the potential fallout of Boeing's problems.
The A350 is due to enter service in the second half of 2014 compared with an initial target of 2012.
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