How Dodgy Spare Parts Got Into Jet Engines, Leaving Airlines Scrambling

livemint.com:

The biggest U.S. airlines are searching for thousands of jet-engine parts with fake safety certificates that were installed on their planes, an unusual incident that highlights the complexity and risks in the aerospace global supply chain. The spare parts, from simple nuts and bolts to more critical engine fan blades, went into dozens of jet engines made by a General Electric joint venture during maintenance work.

The engines were then installed back onto popular Boeing and Airbus airplanes, according to GE and safety officials. The questionable parts have been found on about 100 aircraft so far at a growing number of airlines. American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have pulled aircraft from service.

Delta Air Lines on Monday said it removed a small number of engines from service and is changing out parts to address the issue. At the center of the scandal is a little-known broker of airplane parts, called AOG Technics. A lawsuit filed by General Electric and its engine partner Safran claims the small company used large-scale falsification of documentation to sell engine parts to airlines.

Alexander Weinberg, a lawyer for AOG Technics, declined to comment on the continuing legal matter. A London judge has ordered AOG Technics to share documents detailing its parts sales, giving the firm until Oct. 4 to comply.

AOG Technics serves as a components middleman, acquiring basic parts and selling them to maintenance and repair organizations. The U.K.-based firm was established in 2015 and currently lists an address that is a co-working space near Buckingham Palace, public records show. A U.S.