A European airline is under investigation after discovering that one of its captains — who allegedly falsified his qualifications — had been flying passenger jets across the continent for months.
According to the New York Post, the unnamed pilot reportedly forged flight certificates to secure a captain position with Avion Express, a Lithuanian “wet-lease” carrier that supplies aircraft and full flight crews to other airlines. According to Germany’s Aero Telegraph, the man had only ever worked as a co-pilot for Garuda Indonesia before he began flying as a captain for Avion Express.
“The company recently became aware of unverified information regarding his professional experience,” an Avion Express spokesperson told the outlet. “An internal investigation was immediately launched and is currently ongoing.”
The company confirmed that the individual is no longer employed and emphasized that “safety and compliance are Avion Express’ highest priorities.”
The alleged imposter piloted multiple flights throughout Europe, including routes for Eurowings, a low-cost German airline owned by Lufthansa. Eurowings said it was “taking up the matter with our safety experts for a more detailed examination.”
Avion Express, founded in 2005, operates flights to Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and is part of Avia Solutions Group, a Lithuanian-owned aviation holding company headquartered in Ireland.
The revelation has sparked outrage among aviation safety advocates, who say such a breach highlights vulnerabilities in international vetting procedures for contract pilots.
Under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations, flight credentials are supposed to be verified before a pilot is authorized to operate any aircraft.
Instances of forged credentials in aviation are rare but not unheard of. In June, a Florida man was convicted of fraud after using more than 30 sets of fake flight attendant credentials to book over 100 free flights.
While that scam never put passengers at risk, this latest case did — as the fake captain sat in the cockpit, flying hundreds of unsuspecting passengers across European skies.
