Pilot Caught Flying as Captain in Europe Using Fake Documents

A pilot working for Lithuania-based Avion Express in ACMI (wet-lease) operations was found to have acted as captain on passenger flights across Europe for months, despite not holding a captain’s license. The individual, who only had first officer qualifications, had forged documents to secure the captain position.

Internal investigations revealed that the pilot had conducted dozens of flights across Europe during this period. After the truth came to light, the pilot was removed from duty, and the airline launched a comprehensive internal inquiry.