The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured the conviction of the director of AOG Technics, a company that sold aircraft engine parts with forged documentation.
Parts sold were fitted into the world's most widely used passenger aircraft engine, the CFM56 engine.
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala plead guilty at Southwark Crown Court, ahead of trial, to operating his company for a fraudulent purpose.
AOG Technic's customers included airlines, maintenance repair operators and engine parts suppliers.
From 2019 to 2023, Zamora Yrala defrauded customers by falsifying documentation that related to the origin and status of CFM56 engine parts. CFM56 engines power Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes.
Planes in the UK and across the world were grounded in 2023 after the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, the United States' Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued safety alerts to airlines that may have bought or installed AOG's parts.
The SFO launched an investigation in October 2023, working with Portuguese authorities into the supply of suspected fraudulent safety certifications and parts. The Portuguese investigation remains ongoing.
The SFO would like to thank the Portuguese Procuradoria-Geral da República and the Civil Aviation Authority for their assistance.
Emma Luxton, Director of Operations at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said:
"This significant and audacious fraud threatened trust in the aviation industry and risked public safety on a global scale.
"I'm extremely proud that we've acted swiftly to secure this conviction and wish to thank law enforcement partners in Portugal for their speedy and critical assistance."
Zamora Yrala will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 23rd February 2026 for sentencing.
