Air India crash: Boeing fuel valve safety notice from 2015, clarifies UK aviation regulator; says no Boeing concerns

The United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has clarified that it did not issue any new safety notice in May regarding fuel shutoff valves on Boeing aircraft, contrary to several media reports and viral claims circulating on social media following the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad.

In a response to The Indian Express, the CAA explained that the document being referenced -- Safety Notice SN-2015/005 -- was originally issued in 2015, not this year. It was merely re-uploaded on May 15, 2025, to update the contact email address, not because of any new technical issue.

“To clarify that the safety notice (Number SN-2015/005) was issued in 2015. The document was updated on 15 May 2025 to update the contact email address on the document… Due to the update to the contact email address, our website published the document as if it was a new document,” a CAA spokesperson told The Indian Express.

The statement from the UK regulator came amid intense speculation after India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary findings into the June 12 crash. The AAIB report said both engines of the Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft lost power seconds after takeoff due to fuel starvation, as the fuel control switches transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ within a second of each other.

The report did not conclude whether the switch movement was accidental, mechanical, or deliberate, but the focus on the fuel control switches sparked renewed scrutiny of older safety bulletins, including the 2018 advisory issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). That Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) had advised inspection of fuel control switch locking mechanisms across several Boeing aircraft models, including the 787, but did not classify the issue as a serious airworthiness concern.

Despite the speculation, the UK’s aviation regulator stressed there was no new directive to British airlines.

“Whilst the Air India accident investigation is ongoing, we do not have any technical concern with regards to Boeing products and we do not require any additional actions from UK operators,” the CAA spokesperson added, in response to The Indian Express queries.

A 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which some regulators are now referencing, had advised Boeing operators to inspect fuel switch locks on certain aircraft models, including the 737 and 787. The SAIB was advisory in nature and did not classify the issue as an unsafe condition. It warned that in some aircraft, the locking feature of fuel control switches might be disengaged, raising the risk of unintentional fuel shutoff.

Experts cited by The Indian Express emphasised that accidental movement of the fuel switches is highly unlikely. These switches are spring-loaded, shielded by brackets, and require intentional lifting before moving between ‘RUN’ and ‘CUTOFF’.

In India, the DGCA’s current order aligns with the FAA’s earlier recommendations, asking operators to verify that the locking mechanisms are secure and functioning correctly. While India and some international carriers like Etihad and Singapore Airlines have begun voluntary checks, neither the FAA nor the UK CAA have issued new mandates in response to the Air India crash.

Despite the AAIB’s reference to the SAIB, it stopped short of linking the crash directly to any mechanical defect. However, the mention has reignited debate over Boeing aircraft safety protocols and the urgency for thorough inspections.