Air India Grounds Boeing 787 Dreamliner After Pilot Flags Fuel Control Switch Issue

New Delhi: Air India has grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft after a pilot raised concerns about a possible defect in the fuel control switch following a long-haul flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru, airline and aviation sources said Monday.

The aircraft, operating Flight AI132, touched down at Bengaluru International Airport on Monday morning after departing London late on Sunday. Shortly after landing, the pilot reported that the fuel control switch — a critical component that regulates fuel flow to the jet’s engines — may not have been operating correctly, prompting the airline to take the jet out of service as a precaution.

In an official statement, Air India said it had informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the issue and that the aircraft manufacturer (OEM) is being brought in to investigate the pilot’s concern as a priority. The carrier noted that, following a previous directive from DGCA, it had already inspected the fuel control switches across its Boeing 787 fleet and found no defects at the time. The airline reiterated that the safety of passengers and crew remains its highest priority.

Fuel control switches are essential for engine start-up and shutdown procedures, and any malfunction could theoretically impact engine performance. The recent grounding takes place against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner fuel systems following last year’s AI171 crash, in which an aircraft of the same model crashed soon after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. Investigators in that case found that the fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” shortly after liftoff, leading to a fatal loss of engine thrust, although the final cause has not been conclusively determined.

The DGCA has not yet commented publicly on the latest incident, but aviation analysts say the prompt grounding reflects a cautious approach by both airline and regulator amid continuing concerns about Dreamliner systems. The affected aircraft will remain out of service until comprehensive checks are completed in coordination with Boeing and the DGCA.

Passengers on the flight were reportedly not in immediate danger and continued their journey once the jet landed normally, airline sources added.