The latest fake airplane spare parts scandal is shaking the global airline industry. Since this issue is very serious in an industry where safety is the guiding principle, airlines, and aircraft engine manufacturers are making efforts to find fake spare parts.
New Fake Airplane Spare Part Scandal Shakes Airline Industry
An attendee looks at a LEAP-1B turbofan engine, manufactured by CFM International Inc., displayed at the Singapore Airshow on February 13, 2014, in Singapore. The Singapore Air Show is held every year and is one of the most important aerospace and defense exhibitions in the world.
The bogus spare parts are affecting the world's most widely flown passenger jets, as reported by Yahoo Finance. These include the Boeing 737 airplanes, as well as older-generation Airbus A320 models.
These fake plane components were distributed by an obscure U.K.-based company called AOG Technics.
As of writing, airlines, regulators, and other flight industry players are checking their records to find the bogus spare parts.
CFM International Inc.—the joint venture of Safran SA and General Electric Co.—decided to file a lawsuit against AOG.
CFM, an industry-leading jet engine manufacturer that makes engines for Boeing 737 and Airbus SE A320, said that the airplane components with fraudulent documentation have been put on around 68 of its power plants.
"Numerous Authorised Release Certificates for parts supplied via AOG Technics have been forged," said the European Union Aviation Safety Agency via the Japan Times.
EASA said that AOG confirmed that it did not produce the certifications and wasn't the originator of the fake airplane components.
As of press time, the ongoing investigation is still trying to find the total number of affected passenger airplanes and if the bogus components are already being used.
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Why Fake Airplane Spare Parts Scandal Should Concern You
A Southwest Airlines plane takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia on March 20, 2023. - The world will cross the key 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit in about a decade, the UN said Monday.
The spread of fake airplane components in the airline industry is rare. When it happens, the industry treats it with utmost urgency.
Aside from airline companies, regulators, and manufacturers, the spread of bogus airplane parts should also concern passengers.
In 2002, The Guardian reported that fake, 2nd-hand aircraft parts were the cause of around 10 airplane crashes.
These accidents include the American Airlines disaster in New York, which happened in November 2001.
This is why it is very important for airline companies and aircraft manufacturers to always have proper documentation for the airplane parts they receive.
If you want to learn more about the seriousness of the spread of fake airplane spare parts and other components, you can click here.
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