Air India begins inspection of fuel control switches of Boeing 787 fleet

Air India has launched a precautionary, fleet-wide re-inspection of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft following a reported malfunction during a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. The affected plane was grounded for detailed checks after a pilot reported abnormal behaviour.

The issue occurred on February 1, when a Boeing 787-8 operating flight AI-132 experienced the fuel control switch moving toward the CUTOFF position instead of remaining in RUN during engine start. The aircraft landed safely, and engineers immediately began inspections to ensure the defect was isolated and did not affect other aircraft.

Air India Senior Vice President for Flight Operations Manish Uppal informed pilots that the airline had escalated the matter to Boeing for urgent evaluation. He stated that no adverse findings had been reported on aircraft already inspected and instructed crew members to promptly report any defects during operations.

The renewed scrutiny on fuel control systems follows the fatal crash of Air India Flight AI-171 near Ahmedabad last year , which killed 260 people. Preliminary investigations suggested that both engine fuel control switches had transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after take-off, cutting off fuel supply and leading to engine shutdown. This incident has heightened concerns about the reliability of these switches and prompted multiple fleet inspections.

The re-inspection seeks to verify the normal operation of fuel control switches, detect any latent defects, and ensure that both pilots and passengers can operate safely. Boeing and Honeywell, the switch manufacturer, are involved in evaluating whether design, manufacturing, or maintenance factors contributed to the malfunction.

In recent years, several safety-related incidents involving Indian carriers have reinforced the need for such checks. These include emergency landings and diversions by SpiceJet aircraft in 2022 due to engine or technical warnings, as well as precautionary turnbacks by Air India and Vistara planes in 2023 and 2024 following sensor, hydraulic, and engine alerts.

Air India currently operates 33 Boeing 787 aircraft , including 26 Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s, the latter incorporating six aircraft from Vistara and one custom-configured induction in January. The airline continues to cooperate closely with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other regulators to ensure the highest standards of aviation safety are maintained across its fleet.