UK Aviation Authority Demands Information from Air India Following Boeing 787 Incident
The United Kingdom's civil aviation regulator has formally requested detailed information from Air India concerning a reported malfunction of a fuel control switch on one of the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft at London Heathrow Airport. This development follows media reports highlighting an on-ground technical issue that occurred before the aircraft's scheduled departure to Bengaluru.
Regulatory Inquiry and Airline Response
In an official communication dispatched to Air India, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has mandated that the airline provide a comprehensive account of all maintenance activities performed on the specific aircraft while it was stationed in London. The regulator has stipulated that Air India must submit its complete response within a seven-day timeframe, warning that failure to comply could result in regulatory sanctions. Such information requests from foreign aviation authorities following operational incidents represent a standard international protocol designed to verify ongoing adherence to stringent global safety standards.
The incident in question occurred on February 1st, when the flight crew operating Air India's AI-132 service observed an anomaly with the left engine's fuel control switch during pre-flight procedures. According to operational reports, the switch failed to remain securely latched in the "RUN" position when light vertical pressure was applied during two separate checks. Following a subsequent attempt, the mechanism latched correctly and remained stable, allowing the crew to proceed with the flight to Bengaluru. Upon arrival, the aircraft was immediately withdrawn from service for thorough technical inspection.
Inspection Outcomes and Safety Foundation Concerns
The Ministry of Civil Aviation subsequently confirmed that during detailed examinations conducted in Bengaluru, both the left and right fuel control switches were tested and found to be operating satisfactorily. In a proactive measure, Air India announced on Wednesday that it had completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across its entire operational fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft, with all inspections confirming no systemic issues.
"These inspections were undertaken as an abundance of caution following an observation reported by one of our pilots," an Air India spokesperson stated. The airline further acknowledged the proactive oversight demonstrated by India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which conducted independent verifications before clearing the FCS systems. Air India has committed to fully adhering to regulatory guidance by circulating original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-recommended operating procedures related to fuel switch operation to all flight crew members.
However, the Safety Matters Foundation, a non-governmental organization focused on aviation safety, has raised significant concerns regarding the public statements made about the component's functionality. The foundation formally submitted a complaint to India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Wednesday, arguing that publicly declaring a "clean chit" for the fuel control switch while an active AAIB investigation remains ongoing constitutes what they term an "institutional bypass."
Investigation Integrity and Evidence Preservation
In their detailed complaint, the Safety Matters Foundation warned that such premature public exoneration risks multiple serious consequences: potential contamination of physical evidence as components and records from the AI132 incident might be handled or altered without the strict, sealed chain-of-custody protocols required for material evidence in major accident investigations; prejudicing the investigative narrative by publicly framing a potential causal factor as already resolved, which could influence witness testimony, expert analysis, and the overall focus of the ongoing AI171 inquiry; and erosion of public trust in aviation safety oversight mechanisms.
"The AAIB's mandate is to find the cause, not to confirm pre-stated conclusions," emphasized Captain Amit Singh, Founder-Director of the Safety Matters Foundation and a senior safety advocate. "When another agency publicly closes the book on a system that may be relevant to an open crash investigation, it doesn't just risk evidence, it risks the entire truth-seeking process. The public deserves an investigation led by evidence, not by narrative."
The foundation has urgently requested that the AAIB take immediate custody of all evidence related to the AI132 occurrence under a sealed chain-of-custody, issue preservation orders directing all parties to safeguard and refrain from interfering with related evidence, and publicly reaffirm its investigative independence by clarifying that no external statements determine its findings. Additionally, they have called for an inquiry into whether the DGCA's communications have adversely impacted the ongoing AI171 investigation.
Air India operates its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet on several long-haul international routes, including multiple services to the United Kingdom, making this regulatory inquiry particularly significant for the airline's international operations and safety compliance record.
