Air India has successfully completed precautionary inspections on the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) locking mechanism across its entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737 aircraft, the airline confirmed on Tuesday.
Air India has come under scrutiny after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad last month, killing 260 people.
The inspections were carried out in line with directives issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 14 July 2025. The Boeing 737 fleet, operated by Air India Express, the low-cost arm of Air India, was also included in this comprehensive check.
Air India Completes Fuel Control Switch Inspection | Full Statement
Air India has completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet.
Boeing 737 aircraft are part of the fleet of Air India Express, Air India’s low cost subsidiary. With this, the two airlines have complied with the directives of the DGCA issued on July 14, 2025.
In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism. Air India had started voluntary inspections on 12 July and completed them within the prescribed time limit set by the DGCA. The same has been communicated to the regulator.
Air India AI-171 Plane Crash in Ahmedabad
On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, tragically crashed shortly after take-off at 13:39 IST, approximately 32 seconds into its flight.
The aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew, lost signal at an altitude of 625 feet before impacting a hostel for doctors in the Meghani Nagar residential area of Ahmedabad .
The crash resulted in 241 fatalities on board, with only one British national of Indian origin surviving, and an additional 19 people killed on the ground, with 67 seriously injured .
AAIB Report Flags ‘Fuel Switch’ Cut-Off in Air India Plane that Crashed
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in India on July 12 released a preliminary report into the crash of Air India Flight AI-171, which tragically resulted in 260 fatalities after it struck a hostel building following take-off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025 .
The report indicates that both engines lost thrust due to fuel starvation, with their fuel control switches moving from the “RUN” to “CUTOFF” position shortly after take-off . This occurred within three seconds, with the switches shifting within a second of each other.
Although the preliminary findings confirm the aircraft was airworthy, with appropriate take-off settings and satisfactory fuel quality, the exact cause of the switch movement remains under investigation .
The investigation is being conducted in accordance with international protocols, with the AAIB collaborating with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) . Black boxes (Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder) were recovered and their data extracted by 25 June 2025, with analysis currently underway to reconstruct the events .
A high-level multidisciplinary committee has also been formed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to examine the causes and recommend improved Standard Operating Procedures .
However, the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA-India) has expressed concerns over a perceived bias towards pilot error in the preliminary report and is considering legal action to ensure transparency . This follows a cockpit voice recording excerpt where one pilot questioned, “Why did you cut off?”, while the other denied doing so .
