October 11, 2024

Behind the Scenes: How Delta became the first air carrier to receive FAA authorization to use drones for main fleet inspections

In 2017, Delta airlines began exploring the idea of using drones for visual inspections of aircraft. Manual inspections take 16 hours, using a drone significantly speeds up the workflow.

Since most maintenance work happens during the night, in June 2020, Influential Drones teamed with FoxFury and Delta to test lighting options and project feasibility under low visibility conditions. Good lighting improves visibility, increases efficiency and reduces the risk of accidents. Drone test flights at the time continued to take place inside hangars. Data collected by the team was shared to help clearly define project requirements.

In 2021, Delta selected Mainblades as their technology partner out of the Netherlands and began ramping up testing. The commitment was to achieve permission to perform active drone inspections at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.” Mainblades created an impressive software suite for aircraft inspections.

Data collected continued to be analyzed and over time demonstrated that drone technology can safely be used around manned aircraft!

In June 2024, Delta’s drone trials with Mainblades and other projects in cooperation with the FAA, resulted in Delta being the first air carrier to use drones for maintenance inspection tasks outside!!

Up next… Delta wants drone inspections at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport!

We congratulate Delta and applaud their methodical approach to do things, in our opinion, the correct way. Years worth of data was collected before this became acceptable practice. Delta and the industry teamed together to do proper due diligence. Congrats to all parties involved. Well done Delta!