Aviation regulator has sought urgent answers from Air India after a Boeing 787 departed Heathrow despite a documented engine control anomaly, exposing a sharp divergence with India’s safety watchdog…reports Asian Lite News
The United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a formal notice to Air India seeking an urgent explanation over why a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was allowed to depart London Heathrow for Bengaluru despite a recorded technical anomaly during engine start procedures.
The intervention highlights a clear divergence between the UK regulator and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has largely accepted Air India’s internal assessment that the issue was procedural rather than mechanical. By contrast, the CAA has signalled a tougher stance, warning that failure to provide satisfactory answers could lead to regulatory action, potentially extending to the airline’s wider Dreamliner fleet.
The incident occurred on February 1 during pre-departure checks at Heathrow on flight AI-132. According to the documented account, the flight crew observed that the left engine’s Fuel Control Switch failed to lock into the “RUN” position during engine start. On two separate attempts, the switch reverted to the “CUTOFF” position when light pressure was applied. On the third attempt, the switch appeared to latch correctly and the crew proceeded with the long-haul flight to Bengaluru. The aircraft involved was registered as VT-ANX.
Following the flight, the aircraft was grounded in Bengaluru, where the DGCA conducted an investigation alongside Air India’s engineering team. The Indian regulator concluded that the incident did not stem from a mechanical defect. Instead, it attributed the problem to human error, stating that force had been applied in an “incorrect direction” because of the “angular base plate” of the switch, causing it to slip back to cutoff. On that basis, the DGCA directed Air India to focus on retraining crew in the “correct procedure” for operating the switch, and accepted that explanation as sufficient to address safety concerns.
The CAA has not accepted that conclusion. In a letter dated February 3, the regulator asked Air India to provide a detailed account of maintenance actions taken and a root-cause analysis explaining why the aircraft was considered airworthy for a cross-continental flight after the switch had failed to latch twice on the ground. The CAA has given the airline seven days to respond, warning that enforcement measures could follow if the response is deemed inadequate.
Air India has said it carried out a precautionary re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and found no issues. The airline has maintained that the system has been independently reviewed.
“We acknowledge the regulator’s proactive oversight in conducting independent inspections and subsequently clearing the FCS. The FCS has also been cleared by Boeing. Air India will fully adhere to the regulator’s guidance to circulate OEM-recommended operating procedures for the operation of the FCS to all crew members,” an airline spokesperson said.
The regulatory friction comes at a sensitive time for both Air India and Boeing. The safety of the Boeing 787’s fuel system has been under heightened scrutiny following the AI171 crash in June 2025, which claimed 260 lives. Preliminary findings in that investigation suggested that fuel supply was cut off shortly after takeoff, intensifying focus on fuel control mechanisms and the decisions taken when anomalies are detected.
