After four major U.S. airlines discovered unapproved aircraft parts from a UK-based vendor in their aircraft, WestJet announced that one of its planes was also affected.
In a statement to Global News on Tuesday, the airline said it had to ground the plane in August upon becoming aware of the situation.
The airline said it had replaced the “affected engine.”
A WestJet spokesperson said: “On August 4, 2023, WestJet received notification from a service provider that one of our aircraft was affected and contained certain parts that did not meet documentation requirements. I can confirm that.”
Global News asked whether WestJet had searched for or detected unauthorized parts from AOG Technics or other unauthorized providers onboard its aircraft.
The airline said it immediately notified Transport Canada and suspended operations out of an abundance of caution.
WestJet’s statement added: “Additionally, a thorough investigation of all WestJet aircraft has been conducted to confirm that no other aircraft are affected.
Air Canada told Global News it was not affected.
“We became aware of this potential issue this summer. We immediately conducted an investigation, decided not to purchase parts from the vendor in question, and continue to remain vigilant regarding this situation,” Air Canada said. said in a statement.
“Even before this issue arose, we have long had a rigorous safety, quality and airworthiness program in place that ensures we only purchase certified parts from certified vendors.”
delta airlines The report was announced on Monday. One of the service providers said a “small number” of overhauled engines contained parts that did not meet documentation requirements.
Delta Air Lines said it is working with its engine service provider to replace affected parts and continue to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines.
The company did not disclose the engine service provider responsible for the overhaul.
Bloomberg News reported Monday that the problematic parts certified by AOG Technics were discovered by an anonymous third party, citing a company spokesperson.
Last month, jet engine maker CFM International identified thousands of engine parts that British distributor AOG Technics may have sold using fake documents.
The FAA previously announced that AOG Technics was selling bushings for GE model CF6 engines without FAA approval.
— With files from Reuters
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
