Air India says no issues in locking mechanism of fuel control switches in Boeing fleet

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NEW DELHI — Air India said Tuesday that it had completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of fuel control switches for select Boeing aircrafts, with “no issues” found.

The announcement came days after a preliminary investigation into last month’s Air India plane crash stated that the switches shifted and flipped within seconds, starving both engines of fuel.

Air India operates a fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners for long-distance operations, while subsidiary and low-cost unit Air India Express operates the Boeing 737 jets for short-haul flights.

The airline said in a statement that it carried out inspections on its entire fleet of both types of aircraft.

“In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism,” it said.

The investigation by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau into the London-bound plane that crashed in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people, is centred around the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 jetliner. One person survived the crash.

Last week, India’s aviation regulator ordered all airlines operating several Boeing models to examine fuel control switches and submit their findings to the regulator by July 21.

Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet, and Air India Express operates 75 Boeing 737 jets.

In the past few weeks, the airline has faced disruptions in services amid heightened scrutiny and additional safety inspections, leading to flight delays, cancellations and growing passenger anxiety.

On Monday, an Air India Airbus 320 flight veered off the runway as it landed during heavy rainfall at Mumbai International Airport, partially damaging the underside of one of the plane’s engines and leading to a temporary runway closure.

The flight had flown from Kochi in the southern state of Kerala. The airline said in a statement that all passengers and crew members disembarked safely and the aircraft was grounded for checks.

Indian conglomerate Tata Sons took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-saddled national carrier to private ownership after decades of government control.

The $2.4 billion deal was seen as the government’s effort to sell off a loss-making, state-run businesses. It also was in some ways a homecoming for Air India, which was launched by the Tata family in 1932.

Since the takeover, Air India has ordered hundreds of new planes worth more than $70 billion, redesigned its branding and livery and absorbed smaller airlines that Tata held stakes in. The company additionally has committed millions of dollars to digital overhauls of aircrafts and refurbishing interiors of more than five dozen legacy planes.