Air India Dreamliner Grounded At Heathrow After Critical Engine Control Snag

Air India faced fresh safety concerns on Tuesday after one of its long-haul aircraft was grounded at London’s Heathrow Airport just before take-off due to a technical fault in a critical engine system.

The incident involved Flight AI 145, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner scheduled to operate from London to Delhi. According to sources, the aircraft had completed boarding and was preparing for departure when pilots noticed an abnormality during routine pre-flight checks.

While attempting to start the engines, the flight crew observed that the fuel control mechanism of one engine was not behaving as expected. The switch, which is designed to remain firmly in the ‘run’ position to ensure continuous fuel supply, reportedly failed to stay locked and intermittently moved toward the ‘cut-off’ mode.

Aviation experts say such a malfunction, if it were to occur mid-air, could lead to an engine shutdown, significantly increasing risk during critical phases of flight. Acting swiftly, the pilots aborted the departure and alerted ground engineers, after which the aircraft was immediately taken out of service.

In a statement, an Air India spokesperson confirmed that the plane was grounded as a precautionary measure and that engineers from the aircraft’s manufacturer have been involved to assess the issue.

The airline added that it has been conducting enhanced checks on its wide-body fleet in line with regulatory guidance and emphasised that passenger safety remains its top priority. However, all the passengers were accommodated on alternate flights after a delay.

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