Drones at Austrian Airlines
Since this summer, Austrian Airlines has been testing a completely new technology for the technical inspection of the Airbus fleet: for example, autonomous drones are being used to inspect the aircraft of the A320 series for defects in livery and structural damage.
Using drones not only makes work easier for Austrian Technik employees, but the shorter time needed for the check – less than two hours instead of the previous four to ten hours – also ensures that the aircraft can be back in daily operation more quickly.
The new technology is the result of a Lufthansa Group start-up challenge. The drone provider Donecle applied and, together with Lufthansa Technik, has developed possible applications for autonomous drones in aircraft checks. Austrian Airlines is acting as a test case within the Lufthansa Group and, together with Donecle, is further developing the technology on the basis of its experience in scheduled operations.
Video of a drone check
