The director of British company AOG Technics, Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for orchestrating a global aircraft engine parts fraud scheme that jeopardized passenger safety and caused multi-million-pound losses across the aviation industry. According to a press release published on the official UK government website gov.uk, the sentence was handed down by Southwark Crown Court following an investigation conducted by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
As detailed in the same statement, the 38-year-old Zamora ran the operation from a home office in Surrey, selling aircraft engine parts to airlines and suppliers worldwide as part of a £39.3 million fraud. Investigators found that between January 2019 and July 2023, AOG Technics sold more than 60,000 engine parts worth £6.9 million, accompanied by falsified Authorised Release Certificates (ARC) – documents that certify the airworthiness and safety of aircraft components.
Most of the suspect parts related to the CFM56 engine, the world’s most widely used commercial aircraft engine, which powers thousands of narrowbody aircraft globally. Over four years, AOG Technics generated more than £7.7 million in revenue, with prosecutors alleging that as much as 90 percent of that amount stemmed from fraudulent activity.
The SFO told the court that Zamora altered genuine ARC documents on his personal computer and produced fake delivery notes to create the impression that the parts had been sourced directly from original equipment manufacturers, including the French group Safran. As part of the scheme, fictitious employees were invented, with customers receiving emails and documentation signed in the names of non-existent sales and quality control managers, further reinforcing the illusion of legitimate operations.
The fraud was uncovered in 2023 after an airline verified the authenticity of a purchased part directly with the manufacturer. Safran confirmed that the certificate was counterfeit and alerted the relevant authorities, leading to safety alerts being issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the U.S. FAA, and the European EASA for all parts supplied by AOG Technics.
The consequences were significant: aircraft in the United Kingdom and other countries were temporarily grounded, and estimated losses exceeded £39.3 million. Affected carriers reportedly included American Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines, as well as certain manufacturers.
The SFO investigation resulted in Zamora pleading guilty to fraudulent trading in December 2025, concluding proceedings just over two years after the case was first made public. SFO Director of Operations Emma Luxton stated that the operation had “put public safety at risk on a global scale in a way that defies belief,” adding that she was proud of the speed and expertise with which the case was brought to a close.
The AOG Technics case has once again raised questions about supply chain oversight in the aviation industry, particularly regarding documentation that guarantees the integrity and safety of critical engine components.
