A shocking aviation breach has emerged: a co‑pilot at Lithuanian “wet‑lease” airline Avion Express allegedly
falsified his documents to claim a captain’s role and commanded flights carrying hundreds of passengers across Europe. He reportedly had only served as a first officer with Garuda Indonesia before forging credentials to step into a bigger command.
Avion Express confirmed the case and launched an internal inquiry after being alerted to “unverified information” regarding the pilot’s experience, emphasising that safety and regulatory compliance remain their highest priority. Several of their client‑airlines, including Eurowings, have initiated their own reviews.
This incident has raised alarm bells across aviation circles, spotlighting how critical credential verification and oversight are—especially within the ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) business model, where airlines outsource full flight operations to specialised providers.
References:
New York Post – https://nypost.com/2025/11/12/world-news/fake-captain-allegedly-flew-hundreds-of-plane-passengers-using-forged-credentials/
