Air India completes fuel control switch checks of operational Boeing 787 fleet, finds no issues

Of Air India’s 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 28 are currently operational

Air India on Wednesday said it has completed the precautionary inspection of fuel control switches across all its operational Boeing 787 aircraft, with no issues detected.

The checks followed a switch malfunction on a London Heathrow-Bengaluru flight on Sunday. With over 200 passengers on board, the aircraft made a safe landing in Bengaluru on Monday morning and was subsequently grounded temporarily for thorough inspections.

Of Air India’s 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 28 are currently operational.

The airline, in a statement, said it has completed precautionary re-inspections of the fuel control switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.

“No issues were identified during these checks. The inspections were undertaken in an abundance of caution following an observation reported by one of our pilots,” the statement said.

"We acknowledge the regulator's proactive oversight in conducting independent inspections and subsequently clearing the FCS," it added.

The airline added that it will fully follow the regulator’s guidance to circulate Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) recommended operating procedures for the FCS to all crew members.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said its preliminary review of the fuel control switch incident found that the “apparently correct procedure” was not followed during operation, and asked the airline to ensure proper procedures are followed by the crew.

The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft that killed 260 people last June, as the preliminary probe report mentioned that fuel supply was cut off soon after take-off.