Britain’s aviation regulator has sought a detailed explanation from Air India after one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft took off from London and later faced safety checks in India over a potentially faulty fuel control switch. The development has once again put the spotlight on the Air India fuel switch issue, an area under heightened scrutiny following a fatal crash last year.
A Warning From the UK Regulator
In a letter dated Tuesday, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) warned Air India of possible regulatory action if the airline fails to submit a complete and satisfactory response within one week. The aircraft involved was grounded on arrival in India after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch during landing.
The CAA later clarified that requesting such information is a standard regulatory process following an aircraft incident and forms part of routine safety assurance procedures.
Air India’s Immediate Response
Responding to the concerns, Air India said it conducted a precautionary re-inspection of the fuel control switches and found no anomalies. In a statement, the airline said it would “respond to the UK regulator accordingly,” reiterating that safety remains its highest priority.
Despite these assurances, the Air India fuel switch issue has continued to draw close regulatory attention due to the sequence of events surrounding the flight’s departure and subsequent grounding.
What the Crew Observed in London
According to India’s civil aviation watchdog, the issue first arose during engine start procedures in London. The flight crew observed that the fuel control switch did not remain latched in the “run” position on two occasions. On a third attempt, the switch appeared stable.
Based on this observation, the crew decided to proceed with the flight to India. Later inspections carried out by Indian authorities found the switches functioning normally.
Why Fuel Switches Matter?
Fuel control switches are very important for safe flight operations because they control the flow of jet fuel to an aircraft’s engines. The Air India fuel switch problem is especially sensitive because similar parts were involved in the crash of a Dreamliner in Gujarat last year that killed 260 people and led to stricter monitoring of the airline’s maintenance and operations.
That background has made regulators even more careful about problems that might happen.
CAA Seeks Detailed Maintenance Records
The UK CAA has been very clear about what it wants, even though things are different in India. The regulator told Air India in its letter to give “a detailed account of all maintenance actions performed to ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft and to support its release to service” for Bengaluru.
The request shows how seriously the UK government takes the Air India fuel switch problem, especially when an airplane leaves UK airspace with a technical problem that hasn’t been fixed.
Demand for Root-Cause Analysis
The CAA has also asked Air India for a full root-cause analysis of the incident and a plan for how to stop it from happening again, in addition to maintenance records. The regulator wants to be sure that these kinds of things won’t happen again with all of Air India’s Boeing 787s.
These kinds of steps are normal in aviation safety management, but they are even more important because of the airline’s recent history.
Fleet-Wide Inspections Conducted
Air India said in an internal memo sent out on Wednesday that it had proactively checked the fuel switches on all of its Boeing 787 planes. Flightradar24‘s flight-tracking data shows that the airline has 33 Dreamliners.
The memo says that there were no problems with the entire fleet. Air India hopes this will calm regulators and passengers while the airline is still dealing with the fuel switch issue.
Boeing Yet to Respond Further
Boeing, the company that makes airplanes, didn’t respond to more requests for comment after saying it was working with Air India on the incident. Any technical issue with Boeing planes is still getting a lot of attention from regulators around the world.
Trust, Oversight, and the Road Ahead
The incident happened at a bad time for Air India, which is trying to rebuild trust and modernize its operations after privatization, with a focus on safety and service quality. How well it deals with the regulator’s worries about the Air India fuel switch issue may be very important for how confident regulators are in the future.
As the UK and Indian aviation authorities wait for Air India’s official response, this incident shows how serious the industry is about safety: even one questionable part can lead to a lot of scrutiny.
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