AOG Technics Founder Jailed Over £39M Counterfeit Parts Scandal
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AOG Technics founder Jose Zamora Yrala was jailed for over four years for selling counterfeit CFM56 parts with forged documents to global airlines.
Key Takeaways
- •Sentenced to four years and eight months for selling counterfeit aircraft parts.
- •Forged over 60,000 authenticity certificates for CFM56 engine components.
- •Caused over £39.3 million in financial losses to airlines and manufacturers.
- •Prompted global safety alerts from EASA, FAA, and UK CAA in August 2023.
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, the director of London-based aircraft parts supplier AOG Technics, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for a fraudulent scheme that distributed thousands of unapproved engine parts with forged documents across the global aviation industry. The operation, run from a home in Surrey, UK, led to airlines incurring known financial losses of £39.3 million and prompted international safety alerts.
According to the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which led the prosecution, Zamora Yrala's company sold nearly £7 million worth of components between January 2019 and July 2023. The parts were intended for CFM56 engines, the world's best-selling aircraft engine family which powers thousands of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft. The scheme involved the forgery of over 60,000 authenticity documents, known as Authorised Release Certificates (ARCs), which are required to verify a part's airworthiness. The widespread distribution of these Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPs) created a significant safety risk, leading to the grounding of aircraft worldwide for inspection and parts replacement.
Global Regulatory Action
The fraud was uncovered in mid-2023 after a maintenance technician at TAP Air Portugal raised concerns about the validity of a part supplied by AOG Technics. This discovery triggered a rapid, coordinated response from global aviation regulators. In August 2023, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) all issued safety alerts.
EASA’s Suspected Unapproved Parts Notification on August 4, 2023, formally alerted the industry that AOG Technics had supplied numerous parts with falsified ARCs. The FAA followed with its own Unapproved Parts Notification, advising operators to identify, remove, and quarantine any components sourced from the company. These alerts compelled airlines, maintenance facilities, and parts distributors to conduct exhaustive audits of their supply chains and aircraft records to identify and replace the fraudulent components. Airlines affected by the scheme included major carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Ryanair, and Ethiopian Airlines.
Industry Impact and Response
The AOG Technics case has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the aviation supply chain, particularly the reliance on paper-based documentation that is susceptible to forgery. The financial and operational fallout was substantial, with the SFO reporting total losses exceeding £39.3 million for airlines and manufacturers due to aircraft downtime, inspections, and component replacement. Emma Luxton, Director of Operations at the SFO, described the operation as risking “public safety on a global scale in a way that defies belief.”
In response to the scandal, the industry has accelerated efforts to improve supply chain integrity. GE Aerospace, a partner in the CFM International engine consortium, formed the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition, bringing together partners like Airbus, Boeing, and major airlines to combat parts fraud. A spokesperson for CFM International applauded the court's actions, stating, “We applaud the court's ruling compelling AOG Technics to release documentation that will aid the industry in more rapidly identifying parts sold with fraudulent documentation so they can be promptly addressed.” The case has also intensified the push for digital solutions, such as blockchain-based records, to create a more secure and traceable system for aircraft parts.
Zamora Yrala pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading in December 2025. In addition to his prison sentence, he was disqualified from acting as a company director for eight years. Further legal proceedings to confiscate the proceeds of the crime are expected to follow.
Why This Matters
This case serves as a critical wake-up call for the aviation industry, demonstrating how a single fraudulent actor can compromise the integrity of the global parts supply chain. It highlights the urgent need for modernization, moving away from vulnerable paper-based certification toward digital traceability. The scandal has forced a re-evaluation of supplier verification processes and is expected to drive significant investment in technologies that can secure the provenance of critical aircraft components.
Trusted commercial aviation news and airline industry reporting are available at flying.flights. For reporting on UAP sightings, investigations, and aviation-related encounters, see the UAPs section at flying.flights/uaps.
Written by Ujjwal Sukhwani
Aviation News Editor & Industry Analyst delivering clear coverage for a worldwide audience. Covers flight operations, safety regulations, and market trends with expert analysis.
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