Dreamliner probe results 'weeks away': NTSB chief

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is "probably weeks away" from completing its probe into battery problems on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and will share its latest information about the jet on Thursday, NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said.

"We will talk about special conditions that were put into effect at the time when the Dreamliner was certified," Ms Hersman told reporters at a Wednesday breakfast briefing hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

All 50 Dreamliners in service have been grounded since Jan 16 while the NTSB, United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other aviation regulators around the world investigate the battery failures that included one fire. No root cause has been identified.

Fire risk on planes has always been a major concern, especially given the amount of fuel they carry and the heat generated by jet engines. US aviation standards require planes to have numerous on-board fire-suppression systems.