Air India Boeing plane grounded over fuel control switch defect amid ongoing probe in last year's crash: Reports

An Air India flight scheduled to operate between London and Bengaluru was grounded after the pilot flagged a possible defect in the plane’s fuel control switch.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft was scheduled to operate flight AI 132 from London to Bengaluru when the issue was flagged during pre-flight procedures, media reports said.

“We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft," the airline was quoted as saying. “After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis."

A similar defect had caused one of the worst aircraft accidents in India in which a total of 260 people, including 241 passengers, died after Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.

The civil aviation ministry on Monday said all probable causes leading to the Air India plane crash in June last year are being investigated, and all efforts are being made to complete the probe in a time-bound manner.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash.

In its preliminary report on the crash that was released on July 12 last year, 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 takeoff.

In July last year, Air India said that it completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet.

In a statement, Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and was supporting their review of this matter.