dailynewsnblog
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency ( EASA) has released a report highlighting the fact that, after a shipment was rerouted earlier this year, more than 600 aircraft parts have been stolen. As the parts in question were being shipped for ‘mutilation,’ namely the process in which old parts are altered to prevent reuse, the fact that, following the theft, they may be illegally resold and re-enter circulation could have safety ramifications.
All in all, parts from four engine families were stolen as a result of the shipment being illegally rerouted, which EASA first became aware of after being alerted to the matter by Spanish authorities earlier this month. By sharing details of the parts, it hopes to stop them from being bought on the open market.
The Shipment Was Redirected In January
According to a statement released yesterday by EASA, the shipment whose theft was reported to the agency by Spanish authorities earlier this month (on March 17), was first rerouted towards the end of January of this year. The parts in question were headed for mutilation, but fell into the wrong hands after, as EASA explains, “a third party impersonated the contracted mutilation provider.” These were being shipped in 12 containers.
Of these, three contained parts that were designated as ‘Critical’ or ‘Life-Limited,’ so the prospect of these being illegally recirculated back into the open market by an unauthorized seller is one that comes with considerable safety ramifications. While EASA is leaving the actual investigation of the case to the relevant law enforcement authorities, it has published a list of the stolen parts so that open market users can know what not to buy.
Simple Flying has reached out to EASA for further information on this matter. The agency was unable to offer any comment beyond the information published in its report.
Four Different Engine Families Involved
EASA’s comprehensive document listing the stolen parts, which can be found attached to its corresponding statement on the matter, details both the part numbers and serial numbers of the components involved. This will ensure that, through due diligence and thorough cross-referencing, buyers on the open market will not mistakenly acquire compromised goods. The list also indicates the denomination of the parts for added ease of identification.
All in all, a grand total of 625 turbofan engine parts are listed on EASA’s supporting document, with this figure equating to approximately 52 per container. Of these, almost half were from the CFM International CFM56 family, with 282 parts fitting this category. Almost all were from the CFM56-5B model, which is used to power aircraft from the Airbus A320ceo family, but a handful were CFM56-7B parts, which can power the Boeing 737NG.
Elsewhere, another 159 of the stolen parts were from the Pratt & Whitney PW1100 model. This is part of the PW1000G series, which is also known as the Geared Turbofan, and it is used to power aircraft from the Airbus A320neo family. Meanwhile, 104 of the compromised components were from the Rolls-Royce RB211 series (specifically the RB211-535E4 model used on the Boeing 757), while 80 were from the Airbus A320’s IAE V2500 engine.
The Striking Differences Between Rolls-Royce & Pratt & Whitney Engines
A closer look at modern Rolls-Royce & Pratt & Whitney jetliner engines.
EASA Has Been Tackling This Issue For A Long Time
While this is certainly a high-profile case when it comes to stolen aircraft parts, it is far from the only one that EASA has had to deal with in recent times. Indeed, Simple Flying reported back in October of 2023 that a misplaced aircraft manufacturing identification plate of a Maleth Aero Airbus A330 widebody twinjet aircraft had been added to EASA’s Unapproved Parts list. In this instance, Maltese authorities alerted EASA to the situation.
Just over a year later, in December of 2024, Sofema Aviation Services reported that EASA’s database now consisted of more than 7,700 suspect parts. This, the publication explained at the time, signaled “a persistent issue within the global supply chain that demands immediate action,” and it highlighted that “these unapproved, forged, or counterfeit parts threaten the integrity of aircraft systems and, ultimately, passenger and crew safety.”
