LONDON — Air India has been warned by the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority to provide a detailed account within seven days after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating a Heathrow–Bengaluru route flew despite a reported problem with a cockpit fuel control switch, Feb. 5, 2026. The regulator said it is seeking assurance about the maintenance steps taken before the aircraft was cleared to depart and whether the issue could recur across Air India’s Dreamliner fleet.
In a letter dated Tuesday, the CAA cautioned that it could take regulatory action against Air India and its Boeing 787 operations if the carrier fails to submit a complete response within a week, according to Reuters. The watchdog asked for a “detailed account” of maintenance actions supporting the aircraft’s release to service, along with a root-cause analysis and a preventive action plan.
The incident involved a Boeing 787-8 (registration VT-ANX) operating flight AI132. Indian authorities said the crew noticed during engine start at Heathrow that a fuel control switch did not remain positively latched in the “RUN” position on two attempts when light vertical pressure was applied, but the switch latched correctly on a third attempt and remained stable. The aircraft continued to Bengaluru, India, and the crew later documented the issue in a postflight defect report, according to NDTV.
Air India grounded the aircraft after arrival for inspections and said it informed India’s aviation regulator. The carrier later said it completed precautionary re-inspections of fuel control switches across its operational Boeing 787 fleet and found no issues, adding it would circulate manufacturer-recommended operating procedures to crew members, according to The Economic Times. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation also reviewed the matter and said initial checks found the switches satisfactory, while advising Air India to reinforce correct operating procedures, according to The Indian Express.
Air India deadline puts spotlight on maintenance decisions
Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel to an aircraft’s engines and are typically used to start or shut down engines on the ground, with in-flight use generally limited to abnormal or emergency procedures. The CAA said requesting details after an aircraft incident is a standard safety assurance process.
For regulators, the central question is less about whether the flight landed safely than whether the chain of decision-making at the departure point met required airworthiness standards: what inspections were performed, what troubleshooting was attempted, which procedures were followed, and what evidence supported returning the aircraft to service for a long-haul sector.
Air India fuel-switch scrutiny echoes 2025 crash probe
The U.K. request also lands against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Air India since the June 2025 crash of Air India Flight 171. A preliminary report said the aircraft’s engine fuel cutoff switches moved to “CUTOFF” shortly after takeoff, cutting fuel supply and contributing to the loss of thrust, as outlined by The Guardian.
After that report, India ordered airlines to check fuel switch locking features on several Boeing models and multiple carriers globally undertook precautionary inspections, according to an earlier Reuters report. Air India later said inspections found no issues with the locking mechanisms across its Boeing fleet, according to The Associated Press.
Air India has not indicated any immediate schedule changes tied to the Heathrow–Bengaluru incident, but the CAA’s letter sets a near-term deadline for a technical and procedural accounting that could shape how U.K. regulators oversee the airline’s Dreamliner operations going forward.
