Air India has completed precautionary inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) locking mechanisms across its Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft, with no issues detected, the airline announced on Tuesday.

"Air India has completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet," the airline said in an official statement. It further noted that Boeing 737 aircraft are operated by Air India Express, the low-cost subsidiary of Air India. "With this, the two airlines have complied with the directives of the DGCA issued on July 14, 2025."

According to Air India, the voluntary inspections began on July 12 and were concluded within the timeframe specified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). “In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism," the airline confirmed. “The same has been communicated to the regulator.”

Reassuring its focus on operational safety, the airline added, “Air India remains committed to the safety of passengers and crew members.”

The inspections followed a directive from the aviation regulator earlier this month, which mandated checks of fuel control switch systems in Boeing aircraft across India. This move came after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released a preliminary report on the June 12 crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8, operating as flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off into a medical hostel complex, killing 260 people, including 241 onboard passengers. A single passenger survived the crash.

Investigators highlighted that one of the key factors behind the fatal accident was the inadvertent shutdown of both fuel control switches within a second of take-off. The switches, critical to regulating fuel flow to the engines, were reportedly set to ‘CUT OFF’ instead of ‘RUN’, leading to a loss of engine power.

The DGCA’s inspection directive referenced a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned about the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking system mid-flight. The safety bulletin noted that such an occurrence could compromise flight safety.

In response, the DGCA instructed all Indian operators flying affected Boeing aircraft models to inspect the FCS locking mechanisms and implement corrective measures if required.