European aviation regulators discovered that a London-based company, AOG Technics Ltd., supplied fake parts for jet engines powering many older-generation Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 planes.
Manufacturers Respond
Manufacturing giants General Electric Co. and Safran SA have been involved in investigating the alleged counterfeit certification documents and unauthorized parts for CFM56 engines distributed by AOG Technics Ltd.
According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, many Authorised Release Certificates from AOG Technics were forged. Manufacturers confirmed they did not produce these fake certificates or parts.
«Occurrence reports have been submitted to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) indicating that several CFM56 engine parts distributed by AOG Technics have been supplied with a falsified Authorized Release Certificate (ARC). In each confirmed example, the approved organisation, identified on the ARC, has attested that the form did not originate from within their organisation, and the certificate has been falsified» said EASA in the Suspected Unapproved parts (SUP) notification the regulator released.
«To date, AOG Technics has not provided information on the source of the parts, or of the falsified ARCs. EASA is therefore issuing this alert to determine whether other parts with falsified ARCs have been supplied, and to limit the airworthiness impact of any potentially unairworthy parts operating in service», it adds.
The rare spread of potentially falsified components into the engine supply chain has triggered global efforts to identify parts from AOG Technics and affected aircraft. The actual number of affected planes remains uncertain.
Regulator Warnings
Regulatory bodies and manufacturers have released statements and warnings regarding the unauthorized parts. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority is actively investigating. Meanwhile, CFM has discovered numerous falsified documents related to parts provided by AOG Technics.
According to Bloomberg, GE’s shares experienced a short dip following the revelations, while Safran observed a 0.4% decline at the close of trading in Paris.
AOG Technics, not an approved vendor for CFM or GE, describes itself as a significant global aircraft support provider. The company is majority-owned by Jose Zamora Yrala. Letters to operators have been released by the affected companies, with Safran and GE among those issuing warnings about the unauthorized parts.
Recommendations and Future Actions
EASA has recommended replacing any installed parts with forged ARCs. Ongoing investigations might lead to further actions by the agency. The European regulator stated that is «continuously monitoring the situation», as it has started the investigation. However, statements from the UK’s CAA and FAA remain pending.
