Airbus to Use Standard Battery for A350 to Avoid Lithium Woe

Airbus SAS said it will revert to traditional battery technology for its new A350 wide-body aircraft instead of the lithium-ion power source that grounded Boeing Co.’s competing 787 Dreamliner after malfunctions.

The change is being made to protect the program schedule and avoid certification delays, Airbus said in a statement today. The timeline, with first flight midyear and planned entry into service by late 2014, won’t change. Airbus said it will continue tests on the new batteries, while calling the cadmium type “proven and mastered.”