Major update in Air India crash probe references key issue thought to be its cause

Air India has confirmed it has found no issues in the locking mechanism of fuel control switches for its Boeing aircrafts.

The company has given the key update after the doomed Air India flight 171 crash, which killed 261 people last month. The Boeing 787 jetliner - bound for Gatwick Airport - careered into a medical college in Ahmedabad, India, moments after take-off.

The airline has now inspected its entire fleet of both Boeing 787s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. It said in a statement today: "In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism."

Such a fault would typically starve both engines of fuel, something which was highlighted as a possible cause in a preliminary investigation by third-party authorities this month. The two findings jar, but Air India reminded reporters it has some 33 Dreamliners in its fleet and subsidiary and low-cost unit Air India Express operates more than 70 Boeing 737 jets.

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Last week, India’s aviation regulator ordered all airlines operating several Boeing models to examine fuel control switches and submit their findings to the regulator by July 21.

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.

On Monday, an Air India Airbus 320 flight veered off the runway as it landed during heavy rainfall at Mumbai International Airport, partially damaging the underside of one of the plane’s engines and leading to a temporary runway closure.

The flight had flown from Kochi in the southern state of Kerala. The airline said in a statement that all passengers and crew members disembarked safely and the aircraft was grounded for checks.

In another incident, an Air India flight from Hong Kong had a fire in its auxiliary power unit on Tuesday while passengers were exiting the aircraft after it landed in New Delhi.

“The auxiliary power unit was automatically shut down as per system design. There was some damage to the aircraft, however, passengers and crew members disembarked normally, and are safe,” the airline said. Its statement added the aircraft was grounded for investigation and the aviation safety regulator notified.

Indian conglomerate Tata Sons took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-saddled national carrier to private ownership after decades of government control.

The $2.4 billion (£1.7 billion) deal was seen as the government’s effort to sell off a loss-making, state-run businesses. It also was in some ways a homecoming for Air India, which was launched by the Tata family in 1932.

Since the takeover, Air India has ordered hundreds of new planes worth more than $70 billion (£51 billion), redesigned its branding and livery and absorbed smaller airlines that Tata held stakes in. The company additionally has committed millions of dollars to digital overhauls of aircrafts and refurbishing interiors of more than five dozen legacy planes.