Air India Grounds Boeing Aircraft After Pilot Reports Potential Fuel Control Switch Issue

Air India has grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner jets after a pilot reported a potential defect in the aircraft’s fuel control switch.

The airline said on Monday that it had notified India’s aviation regulator and was addressing the pilot’s concerns on a “priority basis.”

“We are in contact with Air India and are supporting their review of this matter,” a Boeing spokesperson said in response to an inquiry.

The grounding comes amid the ongoing investigation into a June plane crash involving the same model, which claimed 260 lives. Air India did not provide details on the flight or the specific issue reported by the pilot.

Reports indicate the defect was flagged after the aircraft landed in Bengaluru following a flight from London.

Last year’s fatal crash occurred less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, en route to London. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is still investigating, with a final report expected in the coming months.

A preliminary investigation suggested the plane’s engines shut down after the fuel switches moved from ‘run’ to ‘cut off’ shortly after take-off, but the cause of this remained unclear.

Following the crash, the US aviation authority stated that fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft are safe. India’s aviation regulator also ordered a review of cockpit fuel switches on Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft operating in the country. Air India confirmed that its inspections had not revealed any issues with the switch mechanism and reiterated this on Monday.

“Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA and found no problems,” the airline said.