Air India Flight AI-132 Update: Airline to send fuel control switch-linked module to Boeing

Air India Flags Boeing 787 Fuel Control Switch Issue: Air India is learned to have decided to send a module linked to the fuel control switch of its Boeing 787 aircraft to the US-based airplane maker for inspection. The development follows an incident the previous day when the Indian airline grounded its flight AI-132 -- operated using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft -- from London to Bengaluru due to a suspected fault in the fuel control switch. During the flight, the pilots reported abnormal behaviour in the left engine fuel control switch, after which the aircraft made a safe landing and was withdrawn from service.

According to Air India sources, the fuel control switch module in question has a total prescribed life of 20,000 hours, but has so far been used for only 3,440 hours, suggesting that technically, the part is still in the early stage of its service life.

In such cases, as per rules, the component is first removed from the aircraft, a new or alternate switch is installed and the removed component is then sent to the maker -- in this case, Boeing -- for close examination.

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How is Boeing responding to the issue?

"Following the reported defect involving a Fuel Control Switch on one of our B787 aircraft, Engineering has escalated the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation," said sources.

What steps is Air India taking in the meantime?

While awaiting a response from Boeing, Air India's engineers have initiated precautionary re-checking of the fuel control switch (FCS) latch to verify normal operation. However, no adverse findings have yet been made on the aircraft for which this re-inspection has been completed, sources informed.

"In the interim, while we await Boeing’s response, our engineers – out of an abundance of caution - have initiated precautionary fleet-wide re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) latch to verify normal operations," sources said on Tuesday, adding "To date, no adverse findings have been reported on the aircraft for which this re-inspection is completed."

What instructions have been given to the crew?

Additionally, Air India has asked the crew to immediately report any malfunctions observed during operations and complete all necessary actions before accepting the aircraft.

"We would also like to remind all crew to promptly report any defects observed during operations and to ensure that all required actions are completed prior to accepting the aircraft," sources added.

What went wrong on Flight AI-132?

According to information from aviation safety observers, the problem occurred during engine start when the left engine's fuel control switch failed to lock in the "run" position. It reportedly moved to "cut-off" after two attempts.

Following the pilot's report, Air India grounded the aircraft as a precautionary measure and informed the aviation regulator.

Experts say such behaviour, although detected on the ground in this case, could lead to inadvertent engine shutdowns during flight under specific conditions. Though no emergency occurred, the nature of the fault has been described as technically serious and cannot be taken lightly.

Why has the incident triggered concern?

The incident has drawn particular attention because of its timing as this happens when investigators are still probing the June 2025 Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad, which involved another Boeing 787 aircraft and killed 260 people.

Initial investigations into that incident revealed that fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after takeoff. Cockpit voice recordings revealed that the pilots were confused about the position of the fuel switches. While investigators have yet to establish whether the switches were moved due to a mechanical problem or some other factor, this latest incident has renewed focus on the safety of fuel switches.