Air India has grounded a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner following a serious technical anomaly involving a component currently under global scrutiny following a fatal crash last year.
BENGALURU, INDIA — The incident occurred on February 1, 2026, during the departure of Air India Flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. According to reports from the crew and the Safety Matters Foundation (SMF), the left engine fuel control switch failed to remain locked in the “RUN” position during engine start of the Dreamliner (registration: VT-ANX).
The fuel control switch on a Boeing 787 is designed with a “lift-to-move” safety guard to prevent accidental engine shutdowns. However, during pre-flight procedures at Heathrow, the pilot reported that the switch moved toward “CUTOFF” on two separate attempts, failing to engage its mechanical lock.
While the flight eventually departed and landed safely in Bengaluru, the aircraft was immediately pulled from service upon arrival.
The grounding has sent ripples through the aviation community because of its striking similarity to the tragedy of Air India Flight AI171. On June 12, 2025, a Boeing 787 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
The Safety Matters Foundation highlighted that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously issued a safety alert in 2018 regarding this specific switch design. The alert warned that certain Boeing 787 fuel switches could malfunction or fail to lock, creating a risk of inadvertent in-flight engine shutdown.
