Jet Aviation Brings Drone Aircraft Inspections to U.S.

Jet Aviation has expanded its automated drone and artificial intelligence (AI) aircraft exterior inspection service to its U.S. locations. The General Dynamics subsidiary launched the capability at its MRO facility and global headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, in 2023.

Developed in partnership with Donecle, a provider of drone and AI technology for the aviation industry, the process was approved in 2024 by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) for General Visual Inspections (GVIs) by images.

Jet Aviation’s U.S.-based managed and FBO customers can now use the technology to generate digital reports that map the exterior surface of their aircraft, for reference or for use in operational events such as pre-purchase inspections, warranty cases, or insurance claims. It is available for a wide range of business jets and airliners, according to the company.

“Our team is committed to listening to, and working closely with, our customers to grow our regional offering in ways that make a real difference to the owner and operator experience,” said David Best, Jet Aviation’s senior v-p for regional operations and general manager for the Americas. “The drone and AI technology offers our managed and FBO customers additional peace of mind, providing an accurate, comprehensive, digitized report of the exterior of the aircraft for their records now and in the future.”