Air India grounds Boeing 787-8 after pilot flags possible fuel control switch issue

New Delhi: Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday said it has grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

The airline confirmed the development in an official response.

Soon after receiving the information from the pilot, the aircraft was taken out of service as a precautionary step, Air India said.

The airline has also involved aircraft manufacturer Boeing to examine the issue on a priority basis and address the pilot’s concerns.

In its statement, an Air India spokesperson said the matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The airline added that it is following all required safety procedures while the issue is being reviewed.

The airline further clarified that it had earlier carried out checks on the fuel control switches of all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.

These checks were conducted following a directive from the DGCA, and no issues were found at that time.

Air India assured passengers that safety remains its top priority. The airline said the well-being of passengers and crew is paramount, and it will continue to take all necessary steps to maintain the highest safety standards.

Earlier on Monday, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the Air India flight AI-171 crash at Ahmedabad in June last year from all angles and aims to complete the investigation in a time-bound manner.

The Air India flight AI 171 crashed just seconds after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board the plane and another 19 people on the ground on June 12, 2025.

A preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.