Air India Checks Fuel Switch Locking System On All Boeing Planes

Air India Plane-Photo Credit-PTI

Air India had initiated voluntary checks on July 12 and completed them within the prescribed timeline.

New Delhi: Following the directives of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the wake of AI 1717 plane crash in Ahmedabad, Air India on Tuesday said it has completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet and no issues were found with the locking mechanism.

Boeing 737 aircraft are part of the fleet of Air India Express, Air India’s low cost subsidiary. Air India has a total of 33 wide-body Boeing 787s, while Air India Express has around 75 narrow-body 737s.

“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 remains committed to the safety of passengers and crew members,” Air India said in a statement.

Aviation safety regulator DGCA had last week directed airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes by July 21 after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said in its preliminary report that fuel switches were found to be in “cut off” position within a gap of one second before the Air India plane crash last month.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2018, flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. It was mentioned in a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), but there was no airworthiness directive, indicating that the issue was not a safety concern. “In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off? The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the AAIB preliminary report said. AAIB, which mentioned FAA’s SAIB in the report, did not suggest any recommended action.

Apart from Air India, IndiGo, Spicejet and Akasa also have these types of aircraft in their operations. There are more than 150 Boeing 737s and 787s being operated by Indian airlines. Of these, IndiGo has seven B737 Max 8 and one B787-9. Akasa Air and SpiceJet operate Boeing 737s. IndiGo also operates Boeing 787 and 737s, but they are leased from foreign airlines, which means they won’t be subject to the DGCA directive.