Air India on Tuesday announced that precautionary inspection of the fuel control switch locks in all Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft had detected no faults.
The tests were conducted in accordance with the directive of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
“In the inspections, no issues were found with the said (fuel control switch) locking mechanism. Air India had started voluntary inspections on 12 July and completed them within the prescribed time limit set by the DGCA,” Air India said.
“The same has been communicated to the regulator,” the airline added.
Air India operates a fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners for long-distance operations, while low-cost subsidiary Air India Express operates the Boeing 737 jets for short-haul flights.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report of its probe into the crash of Air India’s Flight 171 that killed 260 people had stoked concern over fuel control switches.
The report, which was made public on July 12, said cockpit switches that control fuel supply to the two engines of the Boeing 787 jetliner had “transitioned” from “run” to “cutoff” moments after takeoff.
Seconds later, both switches had been moved back to “run” and the engines relighted, but the aircraft, which had begun losing altitude, could not recover.
The report also said that one pilot had asked the other why he had cut off fuel, and the other had responded that he had not.
The report prompted many international airlines, including Etihad and Singapore Airlines, to inspect the fuel switches in their Boeing 787 fleet as a preventive measure.
Two days after the AAIB report was made public, the DGCA issued directions to all domestic carriers to conduct inspections of the fuel control switches of Boeing 787 and 737 models by July 21, citing a 2018 safety notice by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
According to Air India, it had started voluntary inspection of the switches on July 12 itself.
Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet, and Air India Express operates 75 Boeing 737 jets.
In the past few weeks, the airline has faced disruptions in services amid heightened scrutiny and additional safety inspections, leading to flight delays, cancellations and growing passenger anxiety.