The director of AOG Technics, who was at the center of a fake aircraft parts scam that left airlines grounding affected planes, has pleaded guilty in court to “operating his company for a fraudulent purpose”.
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London on December 1, 2025, ahead of his planed trial after the UK’s Serious Fraud Office launched an investigation in October 2023.
The Serious Fraud Office said that between 2019 and 2023, Zamora Yrala “defrauded customers by falsifying documentation that related to the origin and status of CFM56 engine parts”.
CFM International’s CFM56 engines are used to power Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes and are operated widely by airlines.
AOG Technic’s customers included airlines, maintenance repair operators and engine parts suppliers.
In October 2023, CFM International said the company had identified 126 engines suspected of being fitted with falsely documented parts.
At the time it was understood that the “majority of the parts involved are non-serialized items like bolts, nuts, washers, dampers, seals and bushings,” with CFM unaware of any fraudulent documentation associated with life-limited parts.
Aircraft were grounded while airlines conducted checks on planes that may be affected after regulators including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) advised owners, operators, maintenance organizations, and distributors to inspect their records.
“Planes in the UK and across the world were grounded in 2023 after the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, the United States’ FAA and EASA issued safety alerts to airlines that may have bought or installed AOG’s parts,” said a spokesperson for the Serious Fraud Office.
Airlines caught up in the scandal included Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, TAP, Ryanair, WestJet and Virgin Australia.
The Serious Fraud Office has been working with Portuguese authorities into the supply of suspected fraudulent safety certifications and parts. The Portuguese investigation remains ongoing.
“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,” Emma Luxton, Director of Operations at the Serious Fraud Office.
On December 6, 2023, the Serious Fraud Office announced it has arrested an individual during a dawn raid at a property after launching a criminal investigation into AOG Technics.
Zamora Yrala will appear at Southwark Crown Court on February 23, 2026, for sentencing.
