UK Aviation Watchdog Seeks Details From Air India on Boeing 787 Fuel Control Switch Issue

New Delhi: The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has asked Air India to provide detailed information on an incident involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s fuel control switch ahead of its February 1 departure from London’s Heathrow Airport to Bengaluru.

An Air India pilot reported a possible defect with the fuel control switch after operating flight AI132, prompting the airline to ground the aircraft for technical checks when it landed in Bengaluru on February 2. The UK regulator is seeking a comprehensive account of the event, including maintenance history and corrective measures.

In response, Air India has completed precautionary re-inspections of fuel control switches (FCS) across all its operational Boeing 787 aircraft. The airline stated that no issues were identified during the checks  which covered its entire 787 fleet - and that these inspections were undertaken “in an abundance of caution” after the pilot’s observation.

The airline further acknowledged the proactive independent inspections by regulators, and noted that both the UK authority and Boeing have now cleared the FCS. Air India said it will implement OEM-recommended operating procedures for the fuel control switch across its flight crews and reiterated that passenger and crew safety remains its highest priority.

On Tuesday, the DGCA issued a rejoinder regarding the purported malfunction of the fuel cut-off switch on Air India's Boeing B787-8 aircraft VT-ANX, which the crew identified on two occasions on January 1. The regulator clarified that an external force was applied in the wrong direction, resulting in the switch from "RUN to CUTOFF".

Fuel control switches - which govern the flow of fuel into the engines during start-up and shutdown, have been under heightened scrutiny since last June’s Air India Boeing 787-8 crash in Gujarat that claimed 260 lives, where these switches featured in the preliminary probe.

The UK’s inquiry comes as part of ongoing aviation safety protocols, and regulators have emphasized that the request for details does not itself imply a safety failure but is aimed at ensuring complete transparency and adherence to international standards.
 

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