January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
MUMBAI, July 18 — Air India has confirmed that inspections of the locking mechanisms on the fuel control switches of its Boeing 787 aircraft revealed no faults, according to an internal memo shared within the airline.
The checks were carried out following a directive from India’s aviation regulator, which instructed all airlines to inspect the locking features on several Boeing aircraft models. This move followed Boeing’s assurance to operators that the fuel switch locks are safe, in line with a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recommended such inspections to prevent accidental movement.
“Our Engineering team conducted precautionary inspections over the weekend on the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switches (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft,” Air India’s flight operations department stated in the communication to pilots. “The inspections have been completed, and no issues were found.”
The memo also noted that all Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Air India’s fleet had previously undergone Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacements as per Boeing’s maintenance schedule, with the FCS included as part of the module.
Similar checks have been conducted globally. In Singapore, authorities confirmed that fuel switches on Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Singapore Airlines and Scoot were functioning correctly and met regulatory standards.
The scrutiny on fuel switches intensified after a deadly crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner last month. The aircraft, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people—241 on board and 19 on the ground.
A Wall Street Journal report, citing unnamed sources, claimed a cockpit recording suggested the captain had shut off the engines’ fuel supply. However, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) cautioned against jumping to conclusions, stressing that the final report will determine the root causes and recommendations.
“We urge the public and the media to refrain from promoting premature narratives that may compromise the integrity of the investigation,” the AAIB stated. — AFP
