Airline company EasyJet are developing unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect its fleet of Airbus aircraft, the company has said.
The drones will scan the aeroplanes, sending data and images back to engineers on the ground who can assess any damage or need for repairs.
The airline are working with Coptercraft, Measurement Solutions, and Bristol Robotics Laboratory to modify existing drone technologies to their specific needs.
Ian Davies, Head of Engineering for EasyJet, commented:
“Drone technology could be used extremely effectively to help us perform aircraft checks. Checks that would usually take more than a day could be performed in a couple of hours and potentially with greater accuracy.”
The company said that the drones are already in development, and it expects to be trialling them in the coming months with a view to introduce them into operation in 2015.
