Air India grounds flight after fuel switch moves from 'run' to 'cutoff'

New Delhi: An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner was grounded after its left fuel control switch failed to stay in the 'run' position twice and moved to 'cutoff' during engine startup, an airline spokesperson said.

The flight AI 132 came from Heathrow to Bengaluru on Monday.

"We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft," the Air India spokesperson said.

"After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot's concerns checked on a priority basis," the spokesperson said, referring to the original equipment manufacturer, ie, Boeing.

Following the incident, a Boeing spokesperson confirmed they are in touch with Air India and are “supporting their review of this matter.”

Air India said it has informed the civil aviation regulator DGCA about the matter concerning the fuel switch. “At Air India, safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” the spokesperson said.

After an Air India Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad in June 2025, killing 260 people, the Tata-owned airline had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet. The airline had reported it found no issues. In July 2025, a preliminary report from investigators who looked into the Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash showed that seconds after takeoff, the plane’s engine fuel control switches were switched off briefly, starving them of fuel.