Air India Finds No Fault In Boeing 787 Fuel Control Switches After DGCA Directive

Air India has successfully completed precautionary inspections on the fuel control switch (FCS) locking mechanisms of all its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, with no faults detected, officials from the Tata-owned airline confirmed.

The move came after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a directive earlier this week, asking all Indian operators to inspect the FCS of specific Boeing models - including all B787 Dreamliners and certain B737s - by July 21.

According to a communication sent to pilots late Wednesday, Air India stated: "All our Boeing 787-8 aircraft have also undergone Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacement in line with Boeing's maintenance schedule. The FCS is part of this module."

Air India, which operates 33 Dreamliners, said its engineering teams initiated the inspections over the past weekend and have since completed checks across the fleet without discovering any issues. The airline informed its pilots that they are now fully compliant with the DGCA's July 14 directive.

Pilots were also reminded to maintain vigilance and to report any irregularities in the technical log, as per existing protocols. The airline added that a specific diagnostic tool is available for operational use in case any concern arises during flights.

This round of precautionary inspections comes amid increased scrutiny following the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the crash of AI 171, which controversially suggested a possible "suicide theory." The report has drawn backlash from the pilot community, with many objecting to what they believe is an unfair insinuation against the flight crew, both of whom died in the crash.

Multiple pilots expressed concern over the report's tone: "A Dreamliner operated by a Japanese carrier recently experienced twin engine failure post-landing, even though the FCS remained in the 'run' position. Such failures can happen for various reasons, and FCS switches may toggle without direct pilot input. To imply pilot intent in the preliminary AAIB report is both unjust and deeply troubling," they said.

While Air India continues to uphold its safety standards through rigorous maintenance and inspections, the broader aviation community in India is calling for restraint in attributing causes during the early phases of crash investigations.