The director of the UK-based airline parts company AOG Technics, Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, has pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading over selling of aircraft engine parts with forged documentation.

Zamora Yrala admitted to operating AOG Technics for a fraudulent purpose two years after planes were grounded globally after the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued safety alerts to airlines that may have bought or installed parts from the company.

Following this alert, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK launched an investigation in October 2023, working with Portuguese authorities into the supply of suspected fraudulent safety certifications and parts.

Entering his plea at Southwark Crown Court, Zamora Yrala confessed to “”falsifying documentation relating to the origin, provenance, status and/or condition of aircraft parts” between January 2019 and December 2023. Parts sold by the company were fitted into the world’s most widely used passenger aircraft engine, the CFM56 engine, with AOG Technic’s customers included airlines, maintenance repair operators and engine parts suppliers.

“The series Fraud Office has secured the conviction of Mr Zamora Yrala, fraudulent trading. Mr Zamora Yrala  is the sole director of AOG technics, a UK based aircraft parts broker,” Harriet Sassoon, Prosecutor at the Serious Fraud Office, said, speaking after the conviction. “Mr. Zamora Yrala, through AOG technics sold aircraft engine parts with forge certificates. These parts were then fitted into aircraft around the world. Planes in the UK and overseas were grounded following safety notifications issued by aviation regulators. This admission of guilt marks a significant result for the Serious Fraud Office. We will be back in court in the New Year for sentencing.”

“This significant and audacious fraud threatened trust in the aviation industry and risked public safety on a global scale,” Emma Luxton, Director of Operations at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), added. “I’m extremely proud that we’ve acted swiftly to secure this conviction and wish to thank law enforcement partners in Portugal for their speedy and critical assistance.”

Zamora Yrala will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 23rd February 2026 for sentencing. The maximum sentence for fraudulent trading is 10 years’ imprisonment. The investigation by Portuguese authorities remains ongoing.