India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday ordered the checking of fuel switch locking systems in the Boeing 787 and 737 planes of all airlines operating in the country. This brings into focus the numbers and spread of these planes in their fleets.
The aviation watchdog's direction came after a preliminary probe report on the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, in which 260 people died, spotlighted the fuel switches. The report said one of the pilots asked the other about why the fuel was “cut off”, to which the other said he had not done that. It remains to be investigated how the switches moved, if they did.
The US aviation watchdog had in 2018 advised ailrlines to check the locking system that prevents accidental use of the switches. But Air India said it did not check it because the suggestion was “advisory” and “not mandatory”.
Now with the DGCA stepping into mandate the check, here are some key numbers:
- At present, there are over 150 Boeing 737 and 787 planes operational in India. The domestic airlines operating the models are Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and IndiGo.
- Indigo has seven B737 Max 8 and one B787-9 in its fleet, all of these being on either wet or damp lease. A wet lease means the plane, all crew and other staff, while a damp lease includes the plane and flight crew, but not cabin crew. Being on lease, these planes are not registered in India and therefore, would not be subject to DGCA's directive.
- Air India has 33 wide-body Boeing 787 planes, and Air India Express has around 75 narrow-body 737s. The Air India Group has already initiated inspection of the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft. The checks for 737s are almost complete while half of the 787s have also been inspected, PTI quoted sources as saying.
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Further, the DGCA on Monday said that it had learnt that several international as well as domestic carriers had launched inspections of their aircraft as per FAA's SAIB.
Fuel switch flagged by US FAA in 2018
{{/usCountry}}Further, the DGCA on Monday said that it had learnt that several international as well as domestic carriers had launched inspections of their aircraft as per FAA's SAIB.
Fuel switch flagged by US FAA in 2018
{{/usCountry}}The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel switch locking system in some Boeing models, including 787 and 737, in 2018.
The FAA's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin had highlighted the issue, but did not issue a directive, thus sparking no sparking no safety concerns.
In its order on Monday, though, the DGCA stated, "... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection... no later than 21st July 2025."
The probe report into the June 12 crash had stated that fuel supply to both engines in AI-171 was cut off within a second.