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The head of a London airline parts firm was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison Monday after selling more than 60,000 fake aircraft engine parts, a fraud that triggered worldwide safety concerns and briefly grounded planes.
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, 38, pleaded guilty in December to fraudulent trading, admitting he falsified paperwork about the source and condition of engine parts sold by his company, AOG Technics, between 2019 and 2023.
Prosecutors said more than 60,000 suspect parts entered the global aviation supply chain as a result of the scheme. Many of the parts were linked to CFM56 engines, widely used in Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The discovery of the fraudulent components in 2023 led to planes being temporarily grounded and prompted calls for tighter industry oversight.
Judge Simon Picken said Zamora Yrala’s actions amounted to a “more or less complete undermining of a regulatory framework designed to safeguard the millions of people who fly every day.”
According to prosecutors, AOG Technics sold falsified parts totaling roughly $9.3 million (£6.9 million) — about 90% of the company’s revenue — causing an estimated $53 million (£39.3 million) in losses across the aviation industry.
American Airlines alone suffered about $31 million (£23 million) in losses tied to engine repairs, replacement leasing and aircraft downtime, prosecutors said.
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Prosecutors said CFM International’s co-owners, GE Aerospace and Safran, lost about $4 million (£3 million) and $780,000 (£580,000) respectively, and suffered reputational damage.
Zamora Yrala was also barred from serving as a company director for eight years and faces confiscation proceedings aimed at compensating affected companies.
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His attorney told the court he had “cut corners in order that he could trade more easily” and did not fully grasp the consequences of his actions.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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