Bengaluru: A major aviation incident was averted after a technical malfunction was detected on an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that arrived from London, prompting authorities to ground the aircraft at Kempegowda International Airport. The issue involved a critical fuel control switch, which was found automatically shifting to the “cutoff” position, potentially disrupting fuel supply to the engines. Pilots immediately flagged the anomaly, and Air India confirmed the aircraft was grounded as a safety precaution.
The problem surfaced on Monday during engine start procedures for Flight AI 132 after its arrival from Heathrow. Normally, the switch must remain in “run” mode for engine operation, but in this case, it reportedly moved to the cutoff position twice on its own. Air India promptly alerted Boeing’s technical team, following which engineers began examining the aircraft.
The incident has raised concerns due to its similarity with the fatal Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025, which claimed 260 lives. Preliminary findings from that crash indicated that both engine fuel switches shifted to cutoff within seconds of takeoff, causing a loss of engine power. At the time, pilots had maintained that they did not manually operate the switches.
The fuel control switches, located beneath the thrust levers, regulate fuel flow to the engines and are designed to move only through deliberate manual action. Any unintended shift to cutoff mid-flight can lead to immediate engine shutdown. In response to the Bengaluru incident, aviation regulator DGCA has ordered a probe. Boeing representatives are currently conducting a detailed inspection to determine whether the fault is isolated or affects other Air India 787 aircraft. Air India said passenger safety remains its top priority and clarified that the aircraft will not return to service until the defect is fully resolved.