An alliance of commercial aerospace manufacturers and airlines have formed a coalition to stem the problem of unauthorized parts entering the aviation supply chain – as happened in 2023 with dozens of CFM56 engines produced by CFM International. The suspect parts were sourced to a U.K. distributor, AOG Technics.
“We were able to stop a rogue actor and quarantine the parts last year thanks to swift action from the aviation industry, but more is needed to stop anyone who tries to take a shortcut in the future,” stated former National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt, who is co-chairing the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition.
CFM’s two joint-venture partners, GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, are joined in the new coalition by Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, StandardAero, and United Airlines. Former U.S. deputy secretary of transportation John D. Porcari joins Sumwalt as a co-chairman.
The coalition will expand on the review process and other steps taken by CFM and its parent companies last year, which determined that less than one percent of CFM engines were unauthorized, and most of those parts involved were “non-serialized items like bolts, washers, and bushings.”
This month coalition initiated a 90-day review to determine opportunities to strengthen existing supply chain operations. A comprehensive report based on this review will provide recommendations to ensure compliance with safety standards and prevent the introduction of unapproved aviation parts into the supply chain. The coalition will draw input from manufacturers and airlines as well as maintenance/repair/overhaul (MRO) centers, and other experts.
The report will be completed this year.
“Through this coalition, we will work to find lasting solutions that the industry can adopt to improve the overall integrity of the aviation supply chain,” Porcari stated.
