Analysis: Hunt for suspect jet engine parts spurs call for regulation

The family name on the signature approving the sale of a complex jet engine part might perhaps have rung alarm bells: Chirac. It accompanied the sale of a key component called a low-pressure turbine blade by a British distributor to a Florida firm in 2019 and aimed to show that the part, designed for the world's most widely used jet engine, the CFM56, was authentic. Four years later, engine maker CFM International, which supplies Airbus and Boeing (BA.N), has embarked on a worldwide hunt for thousands of parts with suspected false documentation from the same vendor - some of which have remained undetected for years. So far there are no reports of counterfeit parts and CFM - owned by GE Aerospace and France's Safran - says the problem involves apparently false declarations by nonexistent employees - like the approver identified as "Geoffrey Chirac," who shares a last name with a former French president. But it fears false paperwork can be used to pass off old parts as new or offload parts that lack the traceability needed to ensure they are safe. That has upset one of the world's most scrutinised industries and rekindled calls for extra regulation. "This is not a new issue in the industry. There have always been people wanting to make money out of aircraft parts," said Phil Seymour, president of UK-based aviation consultancy IBA. "The big issue here is that these parts have found their way into engines; that's the game-changer for me." According to CFM court documents, the alarm was first raised on June 21 when TAP Air Portugal's maintenance arm said it was worried about the documentation for a small part called a damper that it had acquired from UK distributor AOG Technics. Story has more.<br/>