Families sue Boeing and Honeywell over Air India crash

The families of four passengers who died in the June 2025 crash of an Air India flight have filed a lawsuit in the United States against Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell, accusing both companies of negligence.

The case was filed on September 16, with the BBC reporting it obtained a copy of the legal documents, which claim that faulty fuel switches were to blame for the accident.

According to the lawsuit, the firms were aware of the design risks but did "nothing."

Fuel switches have become central to the investigation after a preliminary inquiry found that fuel to the engines was cut off moments after take-off. The loss of thrust caused Air India Flight 171 to crash into a nearby residential area a few seconds after taking off, killing 260 people.

The families allege that both Boeing and Honeywell had known about the danger since they developed and marketed the 787 Dreamliner and its components.

The lawsuit points to a 2018 FAA advisory that recommended—but did not require—operators to inspect the switches’ locking mechanism to ensure it could not be moved accidentally, cutting off fuel supply.

In the case of Flight 171, investigators said the switch was moved from "run" to "cut-off," cutting thrust and dooming the aircraft.

The families argue this was a design "defect" that "allowed for inadvertent cutoff of fuel supply and total loss of thrust necessary to propel" the plane.

They added: "And what did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing."

The lawsuit further accuses the companies of failing to warn airlines that the switches required inspection or repair, and of not providing replacement parts. Instead, it says, Boeing and Honeywell "sat idly" behind a soft advisory that merely suggested inspections.

The families are represented by the Texas-based Lanier Law Firm.

Boeing declined to comment on the lawsuit, pointing instead to the preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). That report raised questions about the cockpit crew’s actions and noted evidence of confusion before the crash, while stating that no technical faults had been found in the aircraft at the time.

A more comprehensive report into the causes of the fatal crash is expected to be released in 2026.

By Nazrin Sadigova