Boeing confirmed Wednesday it had resumed deliveries of its next-generation jetliner after the Dreamliner was grounded for about four months due to overheating problems in the plane's battery packs.

After two incidents in January, the company redesigned the 787 battery system, adding a steel enclosure and other safeguards to prevent fire. The Federal Aviation Administration in the US approved the altered system on April 19.

Boeing said Dreamliner deliveries resumed with the take-off Tuesday of a jet from its production factory in Everett, Washington. The jet flew to Japan to be reintroduced to the All Nippon Airways fleet.

No supply delays

The firm said that despite the delays it was still on course to complete all its promised deliveries of 60 planes this year. "The health of our factories in Everett and North Charleston has never been better," said the vice president for marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Randy Tinseth.

The US company has never given a final cost estimate for the 787's grounding and repairs. But Boeing's profit margin looks set to lower further even after resuming Dreamliner deliveries.

The jets being delivered now are among the relatively early planes that are more costly to make and were sold at steep discounts to attract customers.

hg/hc (dpa, AFP, Reuters)