DGCA asks airlines to inspect fuel switch locking system in Boeing 787, 737 aircraft

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday asked airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes, a move that comes days after the preliminary probe report into the Air India's Boeing 787 crash found that the switches were cut off before the accident last month.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), back in 2018, had 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.

On Monday, DGCA said it has come to its notice that several operators,

internationally as well as domestic, have initiated inspection of their aircraft fleet as per the FAA's SAIB.

"... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection... no later than 21st July 2025. Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to concerned Regional Office," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in an order.

Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel into aircraft engines.

Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet are among the domestic carriers operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft.

In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash released on Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take off.

"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 report said.

However, AAIB did not mention any recommended action.

Air India flight AI 171, operated with the Boeing 787-8, enroute to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people.

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