Air India has grounded a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner after a pilot reported a possible problem with the aircraft’s fuel control switch during a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. According to the media reports, the incident occurred on Air India Flight AI132 on Monday, when the crew noticed abnormal behavior of the left engine fuel control switch. During engine start, the switch failed to stay in the RUN position on two attempts, moving instead toward the CUTOFF position, which shuts off fuel flow.
Air India said it immediately grounded the aircraft and involved the manufacturer to inspect the switch on a priority basis. The airline also notified the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
“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. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. 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.”
The fuel control switch is a critical component that regulates fuel supply to the engines. Located behind the thrust levers, it has a RUN position for normal operations and a CUTOFF position to immediately stop fuel flow in emergencies.
The incident comes amid renewed scrutiny following the crash of Air India Flight AI171 in June 2025, when a Boeing 787-8 operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick went down shortly after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board. The AAIB’s preliminary report indicated that fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a second, causing confusion in the cockpit.
(With inputs from agencies)