Delta Air Lines discovered fake engine parts in its planes. This makes Delta the fourth major US airline to admit discovering engine parts with questionable documentation. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines previously found questionable engine parts on their aircraft. The parts came from the London-based company AOG Technic.
However, Delta didn’t identify the specific engine parts that have fraudulent paperwork. Delta simply mentioned that the affected engines make up less than one percent of the airline’s 2,100 plus engines.
According to Bloomberg, it is estimated that around 21 of Delta’s engines contain fake engine parts. And if Bloomberg’s estimate is correct, this makes it the most among US airlines affected by fake engine parts.
Delta discovered the fake components after an engine work by an unnamed third party. The airline stated, “Delta has been informed by one of our engine service providers that a small number of engines they overhauled for us contain certain parts that do not meet documentation requirements.”
It also added that, “Working with the overhaul provider, we are in the process of replacing those parts and remain in compliance with all FAA guidelines – because safety is always our priority.”
Regulators Are Looking for Fake Engine Parts
Engine manufacturer CFM International first discovered AOG Technic’s deceptive practices including fabricated certifications on parts sold to them. CFM International is a joint venture by GE and Safran. This prompted GE and Safran to file a lawsuit against AOG Technic with the aim to scrutinize “every single sale of products.”
According to CFM International, the company fitted falsely certified engine parts on 68 of their engines. These engines are found on Boeing 737s and Airbus A320 family planes.
With this alarming news, airlines and regulators from different parts of the world started looking at records for any trace of AOG-supplied parts that have fake documentation. Aside from major US airlines, Virgin Airlines also found fake engine parts that can be traced back to AOG Technic.
Last month, a London judge ordered AOG to hand over their records to identify any other suspect parts thanks to the lawsuit filed by GE and Safran.
