DGCA orders airlines to check all Boeing aircraft fuel switch locks by July 21 amid safety concerns

New Delhi: India’s aviation safety watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has directed all airlines operating Boeing aircraft to complete thorough inspections of the locking mechanism in fuel control switches by July 21. The instruction follows heightened global attention on aircraft safety, especially concerning the Boeing 787 series. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), back in 2018, had flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. It was mentioned in a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) but there was no airworthiness directive, indicating that the issue was not a safety concern.

Crash investigation triggers fresh checks
The move comes in the wake of the initial probe report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the June crash involving an Air India aircraft. Since the findings emerged, major international and domestic carriers have begun inspecting fuel switch locking systems as a precautionary measure. In an official statement, the DGCA noted, “It has come to the notice of DGCA that several operators, internationally as well as domestic, have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the SAIB NM-18-33 dated December 17, 2028.”

DGCA sets inspection deadline
On Monday, DGCA said it has come to its notice that several operators, internationally as well as domestic, have initiated inspection of their aircraft fleet as per the FAA’s SAIB. “All airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection…no later than 21st July 2025. Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to the concerned Regional Office,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in an order.

What are fuel control switches?
Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel into aircraft engines. Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet are among the domestic carriers operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft. In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash released on Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off.

“In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” the report said. However, AAIB did not mention any recommended action. Air India flight AI 171, operated with the Boeing 787-8, enroute to London Gatwick crashed soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people.