Boeing 787-9 Grounded by Air India After Possible Engine Fuel Defect Reported

Air India’s Boeing 787 Faces New Safety Probe After Midair — Wreckage showing the tail section of the Air India Boeing 787-8 is pictured in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad, India on June 14, 2025, after the aircraft operating as flight 171 crashed shortly after taking off on June 12.

Air India has temporarily grounded one of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners following a pilot report of a possible defect with the aircraft's fuel control switch, the airline confirmed Monday. The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the fuel switches after a deadly crash last year.

The airline did not disclose the full details of the reported defect or the flight, but two sources said the pilot noticed the issue after the plane landed in Bengaluru, southern India, following a flight from London.

"After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft," Air India said in a statement, adding that it was coordinating with Boeing "on a priority basis."

Boeing responded that it is providing full support to Air India as the investigation continues.

The airline operates 33 Dreamliners, according to Flightradar24, and said it had already inspected the fuel control switches on all its Boeing 787s after a regulator directive following last year's crash, NY Post reported.

Document purportedly showing the complaint of the pilot who said the Heathrow to Bengaluru Dreamliner's fuel switch wasn't locking in position. pic.twitter.com/ES3a4jZb21
— Vishnu Som (@VishnuNDTV) February 2, 2026

Air India Halts 787-9 Flights After Pilot Report

The fuel control switches, which regulate fuel flow into the engines, were at the center of last year's Air India Dreamliner accident in Gujarat that killed 260 people.

According to Reuters, a preliminary report concluded that the engine fuel cutoff switches had flipped almost simultaneously, cutting off fuel to the engines and causing the crash.

"These switches are critical safety components," aviation experts said. Pilots use them to start or shut down engines on the ground and can manually shut down or restart engines if there's an in-flight issue.

Air India, owned jointly by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has informed India's aviation regulator about the latest report. A spokesperson for the regulator did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While the airline confirmed no other issues were found during the prior inspections, grounding the aircraft is a precautionary step to ensure passenger safety.

"We are taking all necessary measures to maintain the highest safety standards," the airline added.

Originally published on vcpost.com