UK demands explanation from Air India over fuel switch incident, warns of regulatory action

The UK civil aviation authority (CAA) has warned Air India about possible regulatory action against the airline and its Boeing 787 fleet.

Updated on: Feb 5, 2026, 12:03:50 IST

Edited by Aryan Mudgal

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Britain's aviation authority has demanded an explanation from Air India over how a Boeing Dreamliner passenger aircraft, which was grounded in India for safety checks, departed London on Sunday despite concerns about a potentially faulty fuel switch and warned of a possible regulatory action, a letter reportedly says.

An Air India pilot reported a fault in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. (PTI)

An Air India pilot reported a fault in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft on February 2 after operating the AI132 flight. The airline grounded the plane for inspection after it landed in Bengaluru later that day.

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UK aviation authority seeks details from Air India, warns of action

The UK civil aviation authority (CAA) has warned Air India about possible regulatory action against the airline and its Boeing 787 fleet if it fails to submit a full reply within a week, according to a letter dated Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported.

In a statement, the CAA said it is routine for a regulator to seek information after "an aircraft incident and is in line with safety assurance procedures".

Fuel switches were a key factor in last year’s crash involving an Air India Dreamliner that killed more than 250 people in Gujarat and led to closer scrutiny of the airline. The switches control the flow of jet fuel to an aircraft’s engines.

The CAA told Air India it must submit "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 UK regulator has also asked for a "comprehensive root-cause analysis" of the incident and a "preventive action plan" to avoid similar issues across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, as per report.

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What Air India, DGCA said on fuel switch incident

Air India said in a statement to Reuters that it had conducted a precautionary reinspection of the switches and found no problems. It added that it would "respond to the UK regulator accordingly".

The Indian aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), in its initial review, found that "apparently correct procedure" was not followed while operating the switch. The airline has been directed to ensure that the flight crew adhere to the prescribed procedures.

In an internal memo issued on Wednesday, Air India said it had also checked the fuel switches on all its Boeing 787 aircraft and that “no issues were found”, the report said.

With inputs from agencies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aryan Mudgal
Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More

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