Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, the ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, today hailed the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety certification of the Boeing 787 which will allow the plane to return to commercial service. Larsen issued the following statement:

“Now boarding: the Dreamliner’s return to flight.

“I applaud the work that Boeing engineers and Federal Aviation Administration safety experts have done to exhaustively address all safety concerns associated with the lithium-ion batteries on the 787. My top priority throughout this investigation has been to make sure travelers can have confidence that the plane on which they are flying is safe.

“The 787’s return to flight guarantees thousands of jobs at Boeing and at suppliers throughout Northwest Washington. 787 workers have been justifiably concerned throughout this review process. They can now go to work with renewed confidence in their job-security and pride in their work.

“Congress will continue to work with the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing to review the lessons learned through this certification process.

“The 787 is a revolutionary aircraft that will set the standard for commercial aviation for decades to come. I look forward to boarding the first of many flights I hope to take on the 787.”