Air India begins inspection of fuel control switches in Boeing 787 fleet — Here’s all we know

Aviation giant Air India has started examining the fuel control switches in its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, PTI reported, citing sources. It was stated that the move came after a transit failure occurred on the airline’s flight from London (Heathrow) to Bengaluru on February 2.

The Tata Group-owned full-service airline operates around 33 Boeing 787s or Dreamliners, the report said.

Air India had also inspected fuel control switches following the fatal crash of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad last year, which killed 260 people.

What was the reported defect in the London-Bengaluru flight?

On Monday, February 2, an Air India pilot reported a malfunction in the fuel control switch of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft after flying from London Heathrow to Bengaluru, and the airline grounded the aircraft for checks. The flight took off from London Heathrow on Sunday and landed in Bengaluru on Monday morning.

“We are aware that one of our pilots reported a possible malfunction in the fuel control switch of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we grounded the aircraft in question and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis,” an Air India spokesperson told Mint.

It was stated that the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was also informed about the concerns.

Why is the issue important?

The operation of the fuel control switch came into focus following the crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft last June, which killed 260 people; The preliminary investigation report stated that the fuel supply was cut off immediately after takeoff.

Currently, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s; of these, 26 are legacy Boeing 787-8 and 7 Boeing 787-9, 6 of which are from Vistara and a custom-built aircraft that was inducted into its fleet in January.