Boeing Co. is expected to begin piecing together the next version of its Dreamliner jet in the coming weeks, even without a fix for what has bedeviled the plane's electrical system or a timetable for resuming flights.

The new Dreamliner, called the 787-9, would carry about 40 more passengers and fly slightly farther than the current model, which carries around 250. It would use the same electrical system and lithium-ion batteries as the current model.

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