UK aviation regulator backs Boeing, says no safety concerns found

The stand taken by the CAA and FAA contrasts with the more cautious approach of DGCA and South Korea's transport ministry, which have mandated inspections of fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Tuesday said it had no technical concerns regarding Boeing aircraft or their fuel-control switches, aligning with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which over the weekend stated the issue did not warrant regulatory action.

 

The stand taken by the CAA and the FAA contrasts with the more cautious approach of India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and South Korea’s transport ministry, which have mandated inspections of fuel-control switches on Boeing aircraft following a preliminary report released on July 12 by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the crash of Air India flight AI171. Furthermore, some international carriers, including Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines, have begun voluntary checks.

 

“While the Air India accident investigation is ongoing, we do not have any technical concern with regards to Boeing products, and we do not require any additional actions from UK operators,” the CAA told Business Standard in a written response.

 

The CAA is participating in the AI171 investigation, as 53 British nationals were among the 241 passengers who died when the Air India Boeing 787 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12. Other victims included 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.

 

On July 12, the FAA issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification stating that while the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches is similar across Boeing models, the agency does not consider the design to present an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive. Boeing has likewise informed operators that it is not recommending any action at this time.

 

The DGCA, however, issued a directive on Monday requiring all domestic carriers to inspect the locking mechanism of fuel control switches on Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft by July 21. 

 

Airlines have been instructed to submit inspection plans and post-inspection reports to the regulator. The directive does not apply to Boeing 777 aircraft, which use a different type of fuel switch.

 

India’s civil aviation regulator cited concerns regarding switches manufactured by Honeywell and referenced a 2018 FAA advisory that had flagged the potential for disengagement of the locking feature. The advisory was non-binding but recommended checks across multiple Boeing aircraft types.

 

The move follows preliminary AAIB findings indicating that both fuel control switches on flight AI171 moved from the RUN to the CUTOFF position just seconds after takeoff, causing a dual engine failure. The crash resulted in 241 fatalities on board and 19 on the ground.

 

South Korea’s transport ministry has also announced plans to act on the 2018 FAA advisory and conduct inspections, though it has yet to provide a timeline.

 

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines have initiated inspections of fuel control switches on their Boeing 787 fleets following the release of the AAIB’s report.

 

Asked about the move, an Etihad spokesperson told Business Standard on Monday: “Etihad always ensures its maintenance is fully compliant.”

 

Singapore Airlines did not respond to Business Standard’s queries. But it told PTI that fuel switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet — and in that of its low-cost subsidiary Scoot — are functioning properly in compliance with regulatory requirements. Singapore Airlines operates 26 Boeing 787s, while Scoot has 23.