'Fuel check done before officials,' says DGCA after defect reported in Air India's Dreamliner

The inspections come amid heightened scrutiny of fuel systems following last year's June 12 fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives.

• Air India inspects all Boeing 787s after fuel control switch defect reported
• No issues found so far; defect referred to Boeing for priority evaluation
• Pilots urged to report any irregularities and complete all technical checks

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said that the fuel check is done before the officials, putting the onus on the pilots following a defect reported by one in Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Monday, reported CNN-News18.

Air India has launched a fleet-wide inspection of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft after a defect was reported on a flight operating from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on Sunday, according to sources cited in media reports.

According to reports, an Air India pilot flagged a malfunction in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft after completing the international service. The report prompted the airline to initiate precautionary checks across its entire Dreamliner fleet.

Air India’s Senior Vice President for Flight Operations, Manish Uppal, informed Boeing 787 pilots about the inspection drive through an internal email. In the communication, Uppal said, “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.”

He added, “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.”

Uppal also told pilots that inspections carried out so far had not revealed any adverse findings.

In his message, Uppal urged flight crew to remain alert and report any irregularities immediately. He asked pilots to ensure that all mandatory technical checks and corrective actions are completed before accepting an aircraft for operations. Sources said the airline is closely monitoring feedback from crew members as part of the ongoing safety review.

Air India’s engineering team has referred the reported defect to Boeing for priority assessment and is awaiting the manufacturer’s response to determine whether the issue points to a broader technical concern or is an isolated case. “The matter has been escalated to Boeing for detailed evaluation,” a source said.

The inspections come amid heightened scrutiny of fuel systems following last year's June 12 fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives. The preliminary investigation report into that accident had noted that fuel supply was cut off shortly after take-off, bringing fuel control switches under sharp focus. Since then, Air India has intensified monitoring of critical engine and fuel system components.

At present, Air India operates a fleet of 33 Boeing 787 aircraft, including 26 Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s. The fleet also includes six aircraft inducted from Vistara and a custom-made Dreamliner that joined the airline in January. Sources said inspections are being carried out across both variants as part of the current exercise.

The latest incident has once again put aircraft maintenance and technical reliability under the spotlight, particularly for wide-body aircraft operating long-haul international routes. Air India officials have maintained that the checks are precautionary and aimed at ensuring the highest safety standards. The airline is expected to submit a detailed report to aviation authorities once the inspection process is completed.