India’s aviation regulator has instructed all airlines to inspect fuel switch systems on Boeing aircraft following a deadly crash in Gujarat last month that killed 241 people.
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday directed all domestic airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking mechanism in their Boeing aircraft by 21 July, in line with guidance from U.S. regulators.
The move follows a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the 12 June crash of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by Air India. The report found that both engines lost power after confusion in the cockpit over the position of the engine fuel switches, resulting in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in decades.
The DGCA referenced a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in December 2018, which highlighted concerns over the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature.
Fuel control switches are critical components that manage the flow of fuel to an aircraft’s engines. The AAIB report did not identify any mechanical or engine failure, nor did it recommend immediate action against Boeing or the aircraft model.
India’s major carriers, including Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, operate Boeing 787 and 737 jets and are expected to comply with the directive.
Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson confirmed that all maintenance checks had been completed as required and said the AAIB report found no fault with the aircraft or its engines.
Meanwhile, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA-India) has demanded greater transparency in the investigation. In a statement, the association objected to what it called a narrative presuming pilot error.
“We feel that the investigation is being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots, and we strongly object to this line of thought,” said ALPA-India president Sam Thomas.
The London-bound flight crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.
As investigations continue, the DGCA's latest directive seeks to ensure that similar fuel switch confusion does not jeopardise future flights.
Spanish police have arrested 10 people after three nights of violent unrest in Torre Pacheco, where tensions flared between far-right groups and North...
The death toll from the devastating floods in Texas has reached 131, with heavy rain forecast again just 10 days after the Hill Country disaster accor...
India’s aviation regulator has instructed all airlines to inspect fuel switch systems on Boeing aircraft following a deadly crash in Gujarat last mo...
Scientists have detected the most massive black hole merger ever observed, with gravitational waves from more than 10 billion light years away challen...
The European Union (EU) is preparing to impose additional retaliatory tariffs on goods imported from the United States amid an ongoing customs dispute...
India’s foreign Minister told his Chinese colleague in Beijing on Monday that India and China must settle tension along their border, withdraw troops and avoid “restrictive trade measures” to normalise their relationship.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have told airlines that the fuel switch locks on Boeing aircraft are safe, despite new scrutiny following a deadly crash in India.
Share of Russian aluminium in LME warehouses falls in June as Indian metal rises. Russian-origin aluminium made up 66 % of available London Metal Exchange (LME) inventories in June, down three points from May, while Indian metal climbed to 34 %, the exchange’s latest data show.
At least nine people have died after a bridge collapsed over a river in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Wednesday, according to local police quoted by the Press Trust of India.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
Authorities in North Carolina are investigating three potential storm-related deaths linked to severe flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal, officials said Tuesday.
A man was gored and seven others injured during the adrenaline-charged second day of Spain's iconic San Fermin bull running festival in Pamplona.
Only 35% of Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track, with nearly half stagnating and 18% regressing, the United Nations said in a sobering 2025 report, warning that "We are in a global development emergency."
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has called for reparations over slavery and colonisation, urging global recognition of Africa’s historical injustices and dignity.
An intense heatwave has swept across Finland and Sweden, pushing temperatures beyond 30°C in some regions and triggering health and safety warnings.
Spanish police have arrested 10 people after three nights of violent unrest in Torre Pacheco, where tensions flared between far-right groups and North African migrants.
The death toll from the devastating floods in Texas has reached 131, with heavy rain forecast again just 10 days after the Hill Country disaster according to local authorities.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment