USA- Planes are being taken out of service due to suspicions that certain engine parts were distributed with counterfeit safety certificates and can be dangerous in terms of operational side, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Prominent U.S.-based airlines such as American Airlines (AA), United Airlines (UA), Southwest Airlines (WN), and Delta Air Lines (DL) have been impacted by this issue.
Dangerous Parts in Planes
The Federal Aviation Administration and European authorities are investigating AOG Technics, the company responsible for supplying these components, amid allegations that it fabricated safety certificates to sell parts to various airlines.
AOG, a middleman that procured parts before selling them, has also attracted attention for seemingly fabricating nonexistent employees using stock photographs on LinkedIn, as discovered by Bloomberg.
Thus far, the FAA and European aviation authorities have identified AOG-supplied parts in 126 engines utilized by various airlines. The most heavily affected engine models are CFM56s, installed in various aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320. These aircraft play a crucial role in global air travel.
This issue poses a significant threat to the airline industry and regulatory bodies, which are responsible for implementing rigorous safety standards to ensure the airworthiness of parts, particularly those related to aircraft engines.
Legal Action Against AOG
According to the Mirror, the affected parts can encompass a wide range, from screws and bolts to turbine blades. Many of these parts appear to have been manufactured by General Electric (GE) and Safran, both of which are now pursuing legal action against AOG.
“It’s rather peculiar that an elusive company can be permitted to provide spare parts along with counterfeit certification documents,” remarked Safran CEO Olivier Andriès during a press briefing in September.
In the lawsuit filed by GE and Safran, the companies assert that they first became aware of the issue in June when the engineering and maintenance teams at TAP Air Portugal identified it.
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