An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been grounded after a pilot reported that the aircraft’s left fuel control switch failed to remain in the ‘run’ position and twice moved to ‘cutoff’ during engine start-up, the airline confirmed on Monday.
The aircraft, operating flight AI 132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru, was withdrawn from service after the anomaly was detected. Air India said the matter has been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been involved for further checks.
“We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft,” an Air India spokesperson 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.”
Boeing, in a separate statement, confirmed it is in contact with the airline and is “supporting their review of this matter”.
Air India reiterated that passenger and crew safety remains its top priority. The Tata-owned carrier said it had already conducted inspections of fuel control switches across its Boeing 787 fleet following the fatal Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash in June 2025, in which 260 people were killed, and no defects were found at that time.
Also read: All causes of Air India crash still under probe: Govt
A preliminary investigation report into the Ahmedabad accident, released in July 2025, revealed that seconds after take-off, fuel control switches for both engines briefly moved from ‘run’ to ‘cutoff’, starving the engines of fuel and leading to loss of power. Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot questioning why the fuel had been cut off, while the other denied doing so. The switches later returned to the ‘run’ position, and were found in that state at the crash site.
Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel to aircraft engines and are used during engine start-up, shutdown, or in-flight engine failure scenarios. On the Boeing 787, the two switches are located below the thrust levers and are spring-loaded, requiring a deliberate pull-and-move action to change positions.
Aviation experts note that accidental movement of these switches is unlikely, but if shifted, the effect is immediate, resulting in engine shutdown.
Air India said it will take further action based on the findings of the technical review being conducted in coordination with Boeing and the regulator.
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