Air India grounds Boeing 787 over fuel switch fault, safety group urges scrutiny
Air India grounds Boeing 787 over fuel switch fault, safety group urges scrutiny
A Boeing 787-8 on a London-Bengaluru route was grounded after a fuel control switch malfunction, prompting safety experts to call for urgent aviation-safety scrutiny.
Air India grounded Boeing 787-8 VT-ANX after the crew reported abnormal behavior of the left engine fuel control switch during Flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. On engine start, the switch allegedly failed to stay locked in the run position and moved toward the cut-off position after two attempts, prompting the airline to ground the aircraft.
The incident drew attention from Safety Matters Foundation, which urged the highest level of scrutiny into the fuel-control system and noted that similar issues with critical flight controls have appeared before. The foundation stressed that while no link to the 2025 Ahmedabad crash is implied, the repeated emergence of fuel-switch problems warrants serious oversight.
Air India said it has notified the original equipment manufacturer and is prioritizing checks on the pilot’s concerns. The airline confirmed the grounding and said regulators would be involved as the investigation continues. Some reports have pointed to discussions around the AI 171 crash in June 2025, but officials say no direct connection has been established yet.
Regulatory and manufacturer inquiries are underway to determine whether a defect in the fuel-control switch could affect engine reliability on this 787-8 model, and whether additional inspections are needed across the fleet.
