Inspect Boeing fuel switches in a week, DGCA tells airlines

A spokesperson for the South Korean transport ministry on Monday said the upcoming checks would follow the guidance of the 2018 advisory issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), though no specific timeline for completion was provided.

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The AAIB report had on Saturday revealed that the Boeing 787 involved in the crash was equipped with the same fuel control switches flagged in the FAA's 2018 bulletin. Air India told investigators it had not carried out the recommended inspections at the time, citing the advisory nature of the bulletin. The aircraft's throttle control module had been replaced in 2019 and 2023, though not due to any issue related to the fuel switches.

In its Monday order, the DGCA noted that the FAA had in December 2018 issued a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB)—number NM-18-33—regarding the potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on multiple Boeing models, including the 737, 747, 757, 767, 787, and others.