Photo by Yin Liqin/China News Service/VCG via AP
New bombshell reports this week allege that a pilot flew commercial jets “across Europe for months after forging certificates to fake his qualifications,” according to the Daily Mail, which ran the story under the headline, “Unqualified captain flew passenger jets across Europe for months after forging certificates.”
The story first broke in European outlets, alleging that the pilot flew planes with hundreds of passengers on board for the Lithuanian wet-lease airline Avion Express. The pilot in question was reportedly only certified as a co-pilot, but allegedly flew as a captain using forged documents.
German-language aviation news website AeroTelegraph received a statement from Avion Express that confirmed it was investigating the incident.
“The company recently became aware of unverified information about his work experience. An internal investigation was immediately launched and is currently ongoing,” a spokeswoman told the site, adding that its recruitment process complies with aviation standards.
A wet-lease airline provides aircraft with full crews for other airlines to fly their routes. A Eurowings spokesperson told Germany’s BILD that “the investigation into the case is the responsibility of Avion Express and is not yet complete – we are currently waiting for the facts to be clarified.” It remains unclear what other airlines the pilot may have flown for.
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