British airline industry fears faulty jet engine parts ‘sold with FAKE safety certificates’ are being used in UK planes
BRITISH airlines are in fear that UK aircrafts are flying with faulty engine parts sold by a fake company.
The industry is vigorously investigating amid claims a firm have been supplying components with forged safety certificates and bogus employees.
London based company, AOG Technics Ltd, is now being put under the microscope by regulators after allegedly allowing Airbus A320s and Boeing 737 models take off with fake engine parts.
So far, components from the allegedly fake company have been discovered in 126 engines across several airlines,
It has already been confirmed that UK airlines have purchased items from AOG Technics Ltd, and have flown with them, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
A spokesperson from the UK Civil Aviation Authority told Mail Online: “We can confirm that we are one of a number of organisations looking into this, but we are unable to comment further on ongoing investigations.”
The regulator is now urgently warning UK airlines to review their aircraft records and assess whether parts have been distributed to them by AOG Technics.
“For each part obtained, please contact the approved organisation identified on the ARC [airworthiness release certificates] to verify the origin of the certificate,” they added.
“If the approved organisation attests that the ARC did not originate from that organisation, then all affected parts should be quarantined to prevent installation.
“If a part is found with falsified ARC which has already been installed it should be replaced with an approved part.”
As reported by Aviacionline reports, AOG Technics allegedly provided false organisations on their airworthiness release certificates.
This was investigated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
EASA confirmed: “To date, AOG Technics has not provided information on the source of the parts or of the falsified safety forms.
“EASA is therefore issuing this alert to determine whether other parts with falsified safety forms have been supplied, and to limit the airworthiness impact of any potentially unairworthy parts operating in service.”
‘Deliberate, dishonest and sophisticated scheme’
In addition to fake records, the allegedly bogus company also used made-up employee profiles, as reported by Bloomberg.
It has been claimed they took stock photos from the internet and used them for falsified LinkedIn profiles.
AOG Technics is now facing London’s High Court.
Regulators’ investigations suggest the firm could have sourced thousands of planes with faulty equipment, according to jet engine maker, CFM International.
Matthew Reeve, a lawyer for CFM said AOG Technics had created a “deliberate, dishonest and sophisticated scheme to deceive the market with falsified documents on an industrial scale”.
During a recent hearing at London’s High Court, AOG Technics did not provide a comment in relation to falsifying safety certificates.
‘Aircraft safety in jeopardy’
Mr Reeve claimed CFM have “compelling documentary evidence that thousands of jet engine parts have been sold by (AOG) to airlines operating commercial aircraft fitted with the claimants’ jet engines”.
Despite most parts sold by AOG Technics not labelled as vital, data is suggesting around 100 aircrafts are set to remain grounded while checks are carried out.
The lawyer added that it is suspected 96 engines so far have faulty parts installed from the company.
CFM stated the ongoing nightmare “potentially puts aircraft safety in jeopardy”.
Lawyers representing AOG Technics and sole director Jose Zamora Yrala stated the defendants are cooperating with investigations.
Judge Richard Meade has ordered the company and Zamora Yrala disclose all documents relating to hundreds of purchases and shipments.
AOG Technics, established in 2015, was designed to help the aviation industry by sourcing parts and the selling them to repair services.