Malaysia Airlines not affected by fake engine parts scandal

 

Many older-generation Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 planes are believed to be using the CFM56 jet engine. (MAS pic)

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines says it is not affected by a scandal in Europe over the supply of fake jet engine parts.

In a statement last month, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it had received reports indicating that several CFM56 engine parts distributed by London-based AOG Technics had been supplied with falsified certificates of authenticity.

CFM56, said to be the world’s best-selling jet engine, is manufactured by CFM International, which is a jointly owned company of Safran Aircraft Engines of France and GE Aerospace of the US.

It is installed on many older-generation Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 planes. However, it is unclear how many fake parts may have been installed or how many aircraft might be affected, Bloomberg reported.

“Malaysia Airlines is not affected as the supplier is not part of our vendor list,” a Malaysia Airlines spokesman said.

The spokesman said the Malaysia Aviation Group’s (MAG) fleet includes 47 Boeing B737-800, Airbus A330-300 (15), A330-200 (six), A350-900 (six), A330F (three), ATR (17) and Twin Otter (six).

MAG is the parent group of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings, and AMAL by Malaysia Airlines.

FMT has reached out to AirAsia for comment on whether any of its aircraft is affected.

According to Bloomberg, the AOG Technics website states that the firm has warehouse operations in London, Frankfurt, Miami and Singapore.

The website also describes the company as a “leading global aircraft support provider” and a source of parts for a variety of engines that power Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes.

However, checks by FMT found the company’s website to be inaccessible.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) had no immediate comment for this story. - FMT