UK Demands Answers From Air India Over Dreamliner Fuel Switch Incident

Britain's aviation regulator has launched a formal inquiry into Air India after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner was permitted to depart London for India despite a reported malfunction in a critical fuel control switch, according to official correspondence, Reuters reported.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a stern warning to the carrier in a letter dated Tuesday, demanding a "comprehensive root-cause analysis" of the decision to fly. The regulator has given Air India one week to provide a detailed account of the incident or face potential regulatory action against its entire Boeing 787 fleet.

The investigation centers on the aircraft's fuel switches, which regulate the flow of propellant to the engines. The sensitivity of this specific component is heightened by recent history; a faulty fuel switch was identified as the primary factor in last year's catastrophic Air India Dreamliner crash in Gujarat, which claimed 260 lives and placed the airline under intense international scrutiny.

According to a report by Reuters, the Indian civil aviation watchdog noted that the flight crew experienced difficulties during engine startup at London Heathrow. The fuel control switch failed to remain latched in the "run" position on two separate occasions. However, after the switch remained stable on a third attempt, the crew elected to proceed with the long-haul flight to India.

The UK CAA has categorized the inquiry as standard procedure following an aircraft incident but has requested specific evidence regarding the maintenance actions taken to ensure the jet was airworthy before its departure.

"It is a standard process for a regulator to request details following an aircraft incident and is in line with safety assurance procedures," the CAA stated.

In addition to the specific flight in question, the UK regulator is seeking a "preventive action plan" to ensure such an event does not recur across Air India's fleet of 33 Dreamliners.

In a statement released Wednesday, Air India confirmed it had conducted a precautionary re-inspection of the fuel switches across its entire Boeing 787 fleet. The airline maintained that "no issues were found" during these checks and stated it would "respond to the UK regulator accordingly."

While Air India grounded the specific aircraft involved upon its arrival in India for further safety checks, the decision to allow the plane to cross continents with a known-albeit intermittent-switch defect remains the focal point of the UK's investigation.

Boeing, which previously stated it was cooperating with the airline, has not yet commented on the CAA's demand for a root-cause analysis.

With inputs from agencies