Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Airlines around the world have grounded their Boeing 787s following the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Wednesday <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2013-01-16/faa-grounds-boeing-787-dreamliner-battery-problems">emergency airworthiness directive</a> (AD) that requires United Airlines to stop flying its six Dreamliners until it demonstrates the safety of the airplanes’ batteries. Hours later, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adopted the AD, forcing Europe’s only 787 operator—Poland’s LOT—to ground its two airplanes. <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2013-01-16/japanese-airlines-ground-all-their-787s">Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways had already grounded their fleets</a> a day earlier, after the crew of an ANA 787 made an emergency landing in western Japan in response to a battery malfunction warning and the smell of smoke in the cabin.


On January 17 Qatar Airways officially responded to the AD, grounding all five of its airplanes, as did Chile’s LAN, which removed from service another three.


For its part, Boeing continued to “stand by” the overall integrity of the 787 and expressed confidence in its safety.


“The safety of passengers and crewmembers who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority,” said Boeing chairman, president and CEO Jim McNerney in a statement.


“Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of the Boeing Company to assist.”

All 787s Now Grounded, Await Inspection Protocol

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