A British company has counterfeited spare parts for the engines of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft. More and more airlines are discovering it now.
The company operated with a fair amount of criminal energy. London-based AOG Technics forged dozens of documents to give the appearance of authenticity to counterfeit CFM engine parts. This is how it was circulated and actually installed. CFM56 engines installed on older generation Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft are affected.
According to Bloomberg News, United Airlines has now discovered such counterfeit parts in its planes. The parts were discovered in an engine on two different aircraft. Replace it before the planes take off again. United Airlines did not say whether the plane was an Airbus A320 or a Boeing 737. The airline operates both models.
Also Virgo and Southwest
It appears that AOG parts are also in circulation in Australia. Virgin Australia said it also found counterfeit spare parts on two planes. Boeing 737-800s are on the ground for this reason. Southwest Airlines had previously said it had found counterfeit parts on Boeing 737 planes.
It is not clear how many counterfeit parts are in circulation. According to engine manufacturer CFM International, the parts have already been installed in aircraft in Europe. He has now taken legal action and hopes to obtain more information about the extent of the problem.
And also fake resumes
The engine manufacturer also states that it is in no way associated with AOG Technics. The spare parts supplier was founded in 2015. The company specializes in spare parts for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft and claims to have its own warehouses in London, Frankfurt, Miami and Singapore, but this has not been confirmed.
In recent weeks, it has also become known that some of the company’s employees have falsified their resumes. The company’s commercial director claimed to have worked for decades for companies such as ANA All Nippon Airways, Mitsubishi and Nissan. However, there are no records of his employment in any of the companies.
Strict controls
Counterfeit parts are generally rare in aviation due to strict controls. But the incentive for criminals is great. Even small spare parts can quickly cost tens of thousands of euros.
“Tv specialist. Friendly web geek. Food scholar. Extreme coffee junkie.”
More Stories
Reinhold Messner does not react calmly to a record loss
North Korea wants to expel US soldier Travis King from the country
Tracker in practical test – Many Bluetooth trackers fail quickly when encountering obstacles – Kassenrutsch Espresso