Japan Airlines (JAL) and French aircraft-maintenance drone maker Donecle have launched a joint project using fully autonomous drones for exterior aircraft inspections at JAL hangars, the companies said.
The project is the first in Japan to use autonomous drones approved in aircraft manufacturers’ maintenance manuals for such inspections. It aims to improve the safety and efficiency of maintenance operations by reducing inspection times and limiting the need for mechanics to carry out manual visual checks at height.
Under the project, drones will capture high-resolution images of aircraft exteriors for mechanics to review. JAL expects the time saved through the technology to be redirected towards predictive maintenance, helping to improve aircraft quality.
Since the end of June 2026, JAL has been comparing conventional visual inspections with images captured by drones to assess the technology’s effectiveness.
The project uses Donecle’s Iris GVI drones, which are approved for use in aircraft manufacturers’ maintenance manuals. The drones use obstacle-detection technology to fly autonomously without touching the aircraft, allowing inspections to be carried out consistently regardless of operator skill.
The system also uses image-analysis technology to map and measure aircraft defects, enabling maintenance teams to identify and assess problem areas more precisely.
