ANA-operated Boeing 787 makes emergency landing, smoke in cockpit - Osaka Airport

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Boeing(BA.N) 787 operated by All Nippon Airways Co(9202.T) made an emergency landing in Takamatsu in western Japan after smoke appeared in the plane's cockpit, but all 137 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely, the Osaka Airport said on Wednesday.

The incident comes on top of a slew of recent problems with Boeing's new Dreamliner aircraft. The sophisticated new plane, the world's first mainly carbon-composite airliner, suffered two fuel leaks, a battery fire, a wiring problem, brake computer glitch and cracked cockpit window last week.

Wednesday's flight bound for Haneda Airport near Tokyo left Yamaguchi Airport in Western Japan shortly after 8 am JST (2300 GMT) but made an emergency landing at 8:45 after smoke appeared in the cockpit.

It was not immediately clear what caused the smoke.

Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel, told Reuters: "We've seen the reports, we're aware of the events and are working with our customer".

Japan is the biggest market so far for the Dreamliner, with JAL and local rival All Nippon Airways Co (9202.T) flying 24 of the 50 Dreamliners delivered to date.

Japan's transport minister acknowledged that passenger confidence in Boeing Co's (BA.N) new 787 Dreamliner jet is at stake, as both Japan and the United States have opened broad and open-ended investigations into the plane after a series of incidents that have raised safety concerns.

Japanese authorities said on Monday they would investigate fuel leaks on a 787 operated by Japan Airlines Co (9201.T), and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said later its agents would analyse the lithium-ion battery and burned wire bundles from a fire aboard another JAL 787 at Boston's Logan Airport last week. (Reporting by Mayumi Negishi; Editing by Paul Tait and Ken Wills)