Air India is once again checking the fuel-control switch (FCS) mechanism on its Boeing 787 and 737 planes. This is the second inspection since the June 2025 crash in Ahmedabad, which preliminary findings suggested may have been caused by the FCS being turned off. The Ahmedabad crash killed more than 260 people and after the investigation was completed, the airline conducted a "precautionary" inspection of the FCS locking mechanism and all planes were declared fit.
Beginning Tuesday, the airline started re-inspecting the entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet after a Monday report by a pilot indicated possible issues with the aircraft's fuel switch. A Hindustan Times report cites sources confirming that half of the 787 fleet had been inspected as of early Tuesday afternoon and no problems were found. Tata-owned Air India has indicated the issue has been sent to Boeing as a priority for action.
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Confirming the action, Manish Uppal, Air India's senior vice president for flight operations, told Boeing 787 pilots that the airline had started a precautionary re-inspection of its entire Dreamliner fleet.
"Following the reported defect involving a fuel control switch on one of the B787 aircraft, our engineering team has escalated the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation," Uppal was quoted as saying by Times of India.
"In the interim, while we await Boeing’s response, our engineers — out of an abundance of caution — have initiated precautionary fleet-wide re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch latch to verify normal operations," he added.
Uppal also told pilots that no negative issues had been reported so far on the aircraft that had already been re-inspected. He reportedly instructed crew members to quickly report any defects they notice during operations and to make sure all required checks are done before accepting an aircraft for service.
Why the inspection?
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was grounded due to a reported defect on Monday. The left fuel switch failed to remain in the 'run' position twice and switched to 'cutoff' during engine startup, according to an airline spokesperson. The flight, AI-132, arrived from Heathrow in London to Bengaluru on Monday.
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News agency Hindustan Times quoted an Ai India spokesperson saying, "We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to get the pilot's concerns checked on a priority basis.
The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority."
The incident
The pilot observed that the switch seemed to move out of position if pushed down slightly and did not lock correctly, news agency Reuters reported, citing sources. The aircraft involved, with registration VT-ANX, is nine years old. It can operate for up to 30 years before needing more maintenance checks. Boeing states that its full service life could last as long as 50 years.
