The report and India’s inspection order referred to an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2018 that recommended that carriers using Boeing models, including the 787, inspect the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally.

The US aviation regulator has said fuel control switches in Boeing aeroplanes are safe, following their reported involvement in a fatal Air India crash that killed 260 people in June. The switches' safety has become a key point of concern after a preliminary report on the disaster was released by investigators on Friday.

Last month, 260 people were killed when Air India’s Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed on its way to London Gatwick due to failed engine fuel control switches. The flight crashed on June 12 shortly after taking off, killing 241 out of the 242 people on board, along with 19 people on the ground.