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Air India takes Dreamliner out of service over potential fuel switch issue
Air India removed a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from its schedule on Monday after a pilot reported a possible defect in the aircraft's fuel control switch, the airline confirmed.
Regulator notified, Boeing assisting
In a statement, Air India said it had alerted India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and was treating the pilot's report as a priority. The airline did not disclose the nature of the defect or the flight details.
A Boeing spokesperson told The Meta Times that the company is "in contact with Air India and supporting their review of this matter."
Incident follows fatal 2025 crash of same model
The grounding comes as investigators near completion of a probe into last June's crash of another Air India 787-8 that killed all 260 people on board. The aircraft went down less than a minute after departing Ahmedabad airport en route to London.
A preliminary report released last July found that the plane's engines shut down after the fuel control switches moved from the "run" to the "cut-off" position shortly after take-off. The cause of the movement remains undetermined.
Timeline of events
(Monday) Air India grounds the Dreamliner after the pilot's report following a London-Bengaluru flight, according to Reuters and The Times of India.
(Tuesday) Reuters reports that Air India has begun reinspecting fuel switches across its 787 fleet.
A final report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is expected within the next few months.
Regulatory and industry response
After last year's crash, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration stated that Boeing's fuel control switches were safe. India's DGCA nonetheless ordered a fleet-wide inspection of 787 and 737 cockpit fuel switches. Air India said its initial checks found no issues with the locking mechanism.
"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."
Air India statement, Monday
Expert opinion
Aviation consultant and former air accident investigator Tim Atkinson told the BBC he has confidence in Boeing's design.
"These switches are designed with one purpose in mind, and that is that they cannot be moved unintentionally. There is no doubt in my mind that the design is good. I would be astonished to find it had some kind of latent defect."
Tim Atkinson, aviation consultant
Next steps
The DGCA is expected to review Air India's findings once the reinspection is complete. The AAIB's final report on the June crash could offer further clarity on the fuel switch issue.
