The United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued an important safety notice concerning the fuel shutoff valves in certain Boeing aircraft. This warning applies to Boeing models 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787. A fault has been identified in the fuel system of these aircraft, which could pose a risk during flight if not addressed properly. 

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have also issued mandatory airworthiness directives (ADs) on the matter.

According to UK regulator's safety advisory, all airlines must immediately check whether they operate any aircraft that fall under this warning. For certain aircraft, daily inspections will be required. These checks can be carried out either by engineers or by flight crew (such as pilots). If the flight crew performs the checks, the procedure must be included in the company’s Operations Manual and approved by the CAA. Any faults must be recorded in the aircraft’s technical log and rectified at the earliest. The safety warning will remain in effect until further notice.

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Meanwhile, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also directed airlines to inspect the locking mechanism of fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft currently in operation across Indian carriers. The directive follows the preliminary findings into last month's Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people.

One of the key findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report released on Saturday stated that the engines of the aircraft shut down seconds after take-off as the fuel supply was cut off. The report further noted that the fuel cutoff switches transitioned from 'Run' to 'Cutoff' just three seconds after take-off.

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The cockpit voice recording of the doomed flight revealed a critical exchange between the pilots. One asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other responded, “I didn’t.”

This revelation has raised serious concerns over the reliability of the engine fuel control switches. The AAIB also cited a 2018 FAA bulletin that warned about potential malfunction of fuel switches manufactured by US-based Honeywell. These switches are used across several Boeing aircraft, including the 737 and the Dreamliner involved in the crash. The FAA had earlier recommended that operators inspect the locking mechanism on these switches, inspections that, as per the AAIB report, Air India did not carry out.

Air India informed investigators that it did not follow the FAA's recommended inspections, citing their "advisory" nature. However, in the aftermath of the crash, other carriers such as Emirates are reportedly taking precautionary measures by checking the locking mechanism on their Boeing aircraft.

Meanwhile, the FAA has clarified to global civil aviation authorities that the current design of fuel control switches including the locking feature in Boeing aircraft, such as the Dreamliner, is safe. The US regulator also stated that no airworthiness directive is deemed necessary for Boeing operators at this time, according to an IANS report.