Latest news with #AbhijithGanapavaram
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
India orders its airlines to check fuel switches on Boeing jets
By Abhijith Ganapavaram NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India on Monday ordered its airlines to examine fuel switches on several Boeing models, while South Korea said it would order a similar measure, as scrutiny intensified of fuel switch locks at the centre of an investigation into a deadly Air India crash. The moves by India and South Korea came despite the planemaker and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration telling airlines and regulators in recent days that the fuel switch locks on Boeing jets are safe. The locks have come under scrutiny following last month's crash of an Air India jet, which killed 260 people. A preliminary report found that the switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run position to cutoff shortly after takeoff. The report noted a 2018 advisory from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models including the 787 to inspect the locking feature of fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it had issued an order to investigate locks on several Boeing models including 787s and 737s, after several Indian and international airlines began making their own inspections of fuel switches. The regulator oversees the world's third-largest and fastest-growing aviation market and its move raises the stakes for Boeing, whose aircraft are used by three of the country's four largest airlines. A spokesperson for the South Korean transport ministry said checks there were in line with the 2018 advisory from the FAA, but did not give a timeline for them. Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA, which was not immediately available to comment outside regular hours. The company's shares were up 1.4% in U.S. premarket trading. Some other global airlines were weighing their own inspections or had begun their own checks. In a statement, Japan's JAL said safety was its top priority, adding, "We are closely monitoring the investigation into the incident and will implement any necessary inspections based on its findings." Over the weekend, Air India Group started checking the locking mechanism on the fuel switches of its Boeing 787 and 737 fleets and has discovered no problems yet, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. About half the group's 787s have been inspected and nearly all its 737s, the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Inspections were set to be completed in the next day or two. On Sunday, citing a document and sources, Reuters reported that the planemaker and the FAA had privately issued notifications to airlines and regulators that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes were safe and checks were not required. The Air India crash preliminary report said the airline had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA's 2018 advisory was not a mandate. It also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash. In an internal memo on Monday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the investigation into the crash was far from over and it was unwise to jump to premature conclusions, following the release of the preliminary report. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
13-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks on Being planes are safe, Reuters reports
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, and Boeing (BA) have issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert of Reuters reports, citing a document seen by Reuters and four sources with knowledge of the matter. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification came after a preliminary report on Friday into the Boeing 787-8 crash last month raised questions over the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week.
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
* Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say Air India crash report puts focus on engine fuel switches * U.S. FAA says fuel switch locks not a safety concern * Boeing refers to FAA notice, advises no action, sources say By David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL, - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, with the FAA saying they are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches. The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "although the fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models, the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive on any Boeing airplane models, including the Model 787." When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification. Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said. When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA. The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau , referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a mandate. The report noted "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines." ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, in a statement on Saturday rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for on a "fair, fact-based inquiry." "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday. ALPA India, in a letter posted on X, said the preliminary investigation report referred to the 2018 FAA advisory "concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction." In the flight's final moments, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It said fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped during the flight. Two U.S. safety experts said on Saturday they backed ALPA India's request to be observers in the probe, but said the investigation report did not suggest a bias toward pilot error. John Cox, a pilot and former ALPA representative, said AAIB's report seemed objective and fair. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
(Refiles to drop repeated words in paragraph 1) By David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches. The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "although the fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models, the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive on any Boeing airplane models, including the Model 787." When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification. Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said. When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA. The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a mandate. The report noted "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines." ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, in a statement on Saturday rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for on a "fair, fact-based inquiry." "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday. ALPA India, in a letter posted on X, said the preliminary investigation report referred to the 2018 FAA advisory "concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction." In the flight's final moments, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It said fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped during the flight. Two U.S. safety experts said on Saturday they backed ALPA India's request to be observers in the probe, but said the investigation report did not suggest a bias toward pilot error. John Cox, a pilot and former ALPA representative, said AAIB's report seemed objective and fair. (Reporting By David Shepardson in Washington, Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Jane Merriman) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
(Refiles to drop repeated words in paragraph 1) By David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches. The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "although the fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models, the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive on any Boeing airplane models, including the Model 787." When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification. Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said. When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA. The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a mandate. The report noted "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines." ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, in a statement on Saturday rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for on a "fair, fact-based inquiry." "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday. ALPA India, in a letter posted on X, said the preliminary investigation report referred to the 2018 FAA advisory "concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction." In the flight's final moments, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It said fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped during the flight. Two U.S. safety experts said on Saturday they backed ALPA India's request to be observers in the probe, but said the investigation report did not suggest a bias toward pilot error. John Cox, a pilot and former ALPA representative, said AAIB's report seemed objective and fair. (Reporting By David Shepardson in Washington, Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Jane Merriman)
