Airbus studies dropping Li-Ion batteries for A350: sources

PARIS: Airbus is considering dropping Lithium-Ion batteries and switching back to traditional units on its new A350 aircraft as safety investigators probe battery incidents on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, several people familiar with the matter said.

The move comes amid a wider rethink in the aerospace industry on whether the powerful but delicate backup energy systems are technically "mature," they said.

An Airbus spokesman said the company would study and evaluate the outcome of the ongoing US battery investigation. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said.

Airbus said last week it had a plan B and time to respond to any rule changes.

France's Saft, which makes both the new and old generation of batteries for Airbus, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.