New Delhi: Air India will replace the fuel control switch (FCS) module from its Boeing 787 aircraft that operated flight AI132 and send the component to aircraft manufacturer Boeing for a detailed inspection, even as fresh disclosures revealed that the part had completed less than 20 per cent of its certified service life. Sources said more than half of the airline’s Boeing 787 fleet has already undergone precautionary inspections, with no anomalies detected so far.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the affected fuel control switch had logged 3,440 flight hours against a certified operational life of 20,000 hours when the issue was reported. “The concern relates to a specific component and not the aircraft itself. The switch will be replaced and forwarded to the OEM for further examination,” a source said.
The move follows Air India’s decision to ground the aircraft and inform the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after a pilot flagged abnormal behaviour of the fuel control switch, a critical engine control, on a Boeing 787-8 operating the London–Bengaluru sector earlier this month.
In an internal communication to Boeing 787 pilots, Air India senior vice-president for flight operations Manish Uppal said the airline had escalated the issue to Boeing for priority evaluation and initiated a fleet-wide re-inspection of the FCS latch as a precautionary step. He noted that inspections completed so far had not revealed any adverse findings.
The DGCA, in its detailed report, said the issue was first noticed on February 1, 2026, during engine start at London, when the fuel control switch on the left engine did not remain positively latched in the RUN position on two occasions when light vertical pressure was applied. On the third attempt, the switch latched correctly and remained stable, after which the crew carried out a physical verification before proceeding.
The regulator said no abnormal engine parameters, cautions or warnings were observed during engine start or throughout the flight. The crew avoided unnecessary contact with the switch and closely monitored engine indications, completing the flight safely. The defect was reported after landing in Bengaluru, prompting Air India to seek guidance from Boeing.
Subsequent checks conducted by Air India Engineering, based on Boeing-recommended procedures, found both left and right fuel control switches to be functioning normally, with locking mechanisms correctly seated. Engineers observed that applying force in an incorrect direction could cause the switch to move from RUN to CUTOFF, a behaviour attributed to the angular base plate design rather than a mechanical fault.
Further inspections of the pull-to-unlock force on the affected switch, a replacement unit and a switch from another aircraft showed values within prescribed limits. These checks were conducted in the presence of DGCA officials.
The regulator also addressed a video circulating on social media, stating that the method shown did not align with Boeing’s approved procedure. Air India has been advised to circulate the manufacturer’s recommended operating guidelines for the fuel control switch among all flight crew.
