UK asks Air India to explain how Dreamliner with fuel-switch issue was cleared to fly

Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has formally asked Air India to explain how one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners took off from London with a potentially problematic fuel control switch, even though the aircraft was later grounded for safety checks in India.

The regulator’s letter to the airline warns that failure to provide a full explanation within a week could trigger regulatory action affecting Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, as reported by Reuters.

The aircraft, operating from London to Bengaluru, had been
grounded on landing after a pilot reported a possible issue with a fuel control switch, a key mechanism that manages fuel flow to the engines. While ground inspections in India found no defect, the UK regulator wants a detailed account of the maintenance actions, a root-cause analysis and a preventive safety plan to ensure similar incidents don’t recur.

The issue arose during engine start in London, where crew members noticed that the fuel control switch didn’t stay solidly in the “run” position on two occasions before engaging properly on a third try. The flight was completed without incident, and the observation was recorded in the aircraft’s post-flight defect report.

Deadly crash puts fuel switches under scanner

Fuel control switches have come under intense scrutiny since a
devastating Air India Dreamliner crash in June 2025 that killed 260 people in Gujarat. Investigators linked that accident to fuel switch movement shortly after take-off, which cut fuel to both engines and led to loss of thrust, though authorities have not publicly assigned blame.

Also read |
6 months after Air India crash, where does the investigation stand?

The CAA’s demand for a comprehensive response come amid heightened safety oversight for the Boeing 787 fleet worldwide, especially given the tragic consequences of past fuel-switch-related failures in the same aircraft type. Air India says it has inspected all 33 Boeing Dreamliners it operates and found no issues so far.