Families of Air India crash victims sue Boeing and Honeywell in US court
Families of four passengers who died in the June crash of Air India Flight 171 have filed a lawsuit in the United States against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and aviation systems supplier Honeywell, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The lawsuit alleges that defective fuel switches were responsible for the crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick. According to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the fuel control switch was inadvertently moved from “run” to “cut-off,” cutting fuel to the engines seconds after takeoff.
The plaintiffs accuse Boeing and Honeywell of negligence, claiming the companies had long been aware of the risks but failed to act. “And what did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing,” the families stated in the filing.
The complaint cites a 2018 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory, which urged operators to inspect the fuel switches’ locking mechanism but did not mandate repairs. The families argue that the advisory was inadequate and that the companies failed to warn airlines or provide replacement parts.
Boeing declined to comment on the lawsuit, instead pointing to the AAIB’s preliminary findings. The FAA earlier said that fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft are safe. Honeywell has not issued a statement.
A full investigation report is expected in 2026. Among the victims were 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that the FAA proposed civil penalties totaling USD 3,139,319 against Boeing for multiple safety violations committed between September 2023 and February 2024.