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An Air India Boeing 787 flying London–Bengaluru was grounded after a pilot reported a fuel control switch issue, leading to checks by Boeing and the DGCA.
The aircraft was due to operate flight AI 132 from London to Bengaluru when the issue was flagged during pre-flight procedures. (IMAGE: REUTERS/REPRESENTATIVE)
An Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft scheduled to operate a London–Bengaluru flight on Monday was grounded after a pilot reported a possible defect in the plane’s fuel control switch, the airline said in a statement.
The aircraft was due to operate flight AI 132 from London to Bengaluru when the issue was flagged during pre-flight procedures. Following the report, Air India immediately took the aircraft out of service as a precautionary measure.
“We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft,” the airline said. “After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis.”
An OEM is an Original Equipment Manufacturer.
In aviation, it means the company that built the aircraft or its parts — in this case, Boeing, which manufactured the 787 plane and its systems.
Air India confirmed that the matter has been formally communicated to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and that further technical checks are under way in coordination with the aircraft manufacturer.
The technical issue was detected post landing and the problem was noticed by the pilots after the aircraft touched down in Bengaluru, following which it was recorded in the aircraft’s log sheet as per standard procedure.
The airline also said it had already carried out fleet-wide inspections of fuel control switches on all its Boeing 787 aircraft following a recent DGCA directive, and that no problems were found at the time.
“Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” the statement added.
In response to the preliminary investigation into the June 12 crash of Air India Flight AI-171, India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA issued a directive on July 14, 2025, mandating that all carriers operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft inspect their fuel control switch locking mechanisms by July 21, following indications in the crash report that fuel switches had moved to a cutoff position shortly after take-off.
According to PTI, Air India began voluntary inspections on July 12 and completed the mandated fuel control switch checks on all its Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft by July 22, finding no issues with the locking mechanisms and communicating compliance to the regulator.
February 02, 2026, 18:15 IST
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