Airbus would replace the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in its new A350 passenger jet with nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries to protect the company’s A350 programme schedule, Airbus spokesperson Linden Birns told Engineering News Online on Friday.

“The decision to switch to NiCad is about protecting the integrity of the A350 programme schedule.  It is not about safety concerns around Li-ion batteries; however, with so much uncertainty raised by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner investigation, we are being prudent to protect our programme schedule. This is just about good business as usual,” he explained.

Birns added that Airbus would continue maturing the Li-ion battery in parallel and would take into account the findings of investigations currently under way into the 787 Li-ion battery issues.

Engineering News Online earlier this month reported that US planemaker Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner airliner was grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration, as well as other aviation authorities across the world, following a series of incidents and failures, which included battery explosions and batteries overheating.

Birns noted that the decision to switch to NiCad batteries was driven by the fact that the root causes of the Boeing 787 events remained unknown and that the public and operators' confidence in Li-ion batteries had been compromised.

“Moreover, certification rules may evolve and it's too early today to say how or when, but we have taken the decision now in the event that the ongoing investigation leads to regulatory action. 

“This decision is being made in good time to develop and certify the alternative battery system, as we could not wait until the last minute to make a decision,” Birns said.

These batteries were used to power the aircraft while on the ground and to start the auxillary power unit, which started the engine.
In flight, these batteries were used only in the case of emergency power supply.

Airbus would not, however, replace the batteries on the flight test aircraft, as the company was confident in the Li-ion main batteries developed with battery manufacturer Saft.  

“We will perform tests with NiCad batteries, as required by the authorities for certification, but we don’t need to do specific tests of the battery early in the programme. The NiCad technology is well known in this application,” Birns commented.

He added that it was too early to discuss the possible retrofitting of delivered aircraft with Li-ion batteries.

Airbus did not expect the change to NiCad batteries would cause any delays to the A350 schedule programme.