Fresh concerns have emerged over aviation safety in India after Air India grounded a Boeing 787 Dreamliner when a pilot reported a possible defect in a critical fuel control switch on a London–Bengaluru flight.  The aircraft operating Flight AI-132 from Heathrow was grounded after the pilot noticed that the left engine fuel control switch failed to remain locked in the “RUN” position during engine start and repeatedly moved towards “CUTOFF,” raising fears of an unintended engine shutdown mid-air. 

The Safety Matters Foundation (SMF) warned that the malfunction resembles issues now under investigation in the deadly June 12, 2025 crash of Air India Flight AI-171, which killed 260 people.   Air India said it has informed the aviation regulator, DGCA, and involved Boeing on a priority basis, claiming earlier fleet-wide inspections found no defects.

However, safety experts questioned the effectiveness of those checks, noting past incidents such as the AI-161 electrical malfunction, flooding of a Dreamliner’s electronic bay in 2025 that led to an aircraft being declared AOG, and an engine rollback incident involving an ANA Dreamliner in Osaka in 2019. 

Aviation safety analysts said the recurrence of fuel control and electrical system issues underscores deeper flaws in oversight, maintenance, and regulatory enforcement in India’s civil aviation sector, warning that without comprehensive and transparent inspections, passenger safety remains at serious risk.  

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)