Fake Plane Parts Scandal Shows Peril of Antiquated Paper System
- Digitization push slowed by methodical pace of industry change
- Airlines, repair shops boost scrutiny after Bloomberg reports
A General Electric Co. CFM56-7B jet engine.
Photographer: Jim R. Bounds/Bloomberg
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After falsified records for spare aircraft parts set off a frantic global search for suspect pieces, the aviation industry now faces another daunting task: adapting the archaic paperwork for 100 million components to the digital age.
Since the middle of the year, maintenance shops and aerospace manufacturers have found thousands of engine parts with falsified records linked to a distributor called AOG Technics Ltd. Airlines from China to the US and Europe have had to pull planes from service and extract the dubious components, leaving jets grounded and racking up millions of dollars in costs.