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2d ago

India Orders Mandatory Inspections of Boeing Fuel Switch Locks

Carriers from India to South Korea have begun checks of Boeing 787 and select 737 fuel control switch locks after the DGCA imposed a July 21 inspection deadline following the AAIB's preliminary probe.

Wreckage of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which was operating flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, was placed under tight security, seen a month after the tragedy, in Ahmedabad, Saturday, July 12, 2025.
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Overview

  • DGCA’s July 14 order requires all airlines operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners and specified 737 models to inspect fuel control switch locking systems and report compliance by July 21, 2025.
  • Domestic operators including Air India, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Air India Express have commenced the mandated inspections under regulator oversight.
  • International carriers such as Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines, together with South Korea’s aviation regulator, have launched similar checks in line with a 2018 FAA advisory.
  • The AAIB’s preliminary report confirmed that near-simultaneous shifts of both fuel control switches to “CUTOFF” triggered a dual-engine shutdown and noted no mechanical or maintenance defects.
  • The investigation remains open ahead of a final AAIB report due by mid-2026 as authorities and manufacturers review cockpit control safeguards and human factors.