Boeing Dreamliner catches fire at Britain's Heathrow airport

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire at Britain's Heathrow airport on Friday, forcing the closure of both of its runways.

Shares in Boeing fell over 5 percent in New York. Television footage showed the Dreamliner surrounded by foam used by firefighters.

A Heathrow spokeswoman said fire services were attending the incident. There were no passengers aboard the plane.

The lightweight new plane suffered a series of battery fires earlier this year, causing it to be grounded until Boeing came up with a fix.

On April 27, Ethiopian Airlines was the first carrier to resume flights with Dreamliner passenger jets, three months after they were grounded over the battery meltdowns.