FAA chief Huerta gives no date for approving Boeing 787 battery

Boeing Co has finished testing its redesigned 787 Dreamliner battery system, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday, but the agency gave no timetable for when it would lift a ban on flights by the new jet.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency is reviewing the tests and analysis and "will approve the redesign once we are satisfied Boeing has shown the redesigned battery system meets FAA requirements."

Huerta, testifying in Congress, also warned that air travelers should expect "significant delays" from air traffic control furloughs that are due to start April 21, and persistent equipment outages. He said the reductions in air service will adversely affect commercial, corporate and general aviation, as well as the general public.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa and Alwyn Scott; Editing by James Dalgleish)