Leading companies in the aerospace industry, such as GE Aerospace and Airbus SE, have put forth a set of proposals to enhance the integrity of aerospace supply chains. This initiative comes in response to the discovery of spare components with allegedly falsified records that triggered a widespread search across the globe last year.
The Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition, which includes Boeing Co., Safran SA, Delta Air Lines Inc., and United Airlines Holdings Inc., among others, emphasized the importance of adopting more secure digital records, strengthening supplier accreditation, and improving the traceability of component authenticity. These measures aim to prevent unauthorized parts from entering airline fleets.
Following a thorough nine-month investigation into supply chain risks exposed by a UK distributor accused of selling thousands of spare jet-engine parts with falsified airworthiness records, the coalition issued its recommendations. This distributor, AOG Technics Ltd, reportedly remains active according to a UK government website. The fallout from this discovery led airlines worldwide to ground planes, remove suspect components, and incur substantial costs.
In addition to immediate actions, the coalition outlined long-term objectives, including the establishment of databases for vendors to verify their identities and maintain accurate records to track a part’s history from production onwards.
While the recommendations put forth by the coalition are voluntary, co-chairs Robert Sumwalt and John Porcari, former officials in the US transportation sector, stated that they are collaborating with US and European regulators to implement these measures.
Data Sheet: Stay informed about the tech industry’s key players with insightful analysis. Sign up here.
