Jet Aviation has signed a cooperation agreement with Donecle, a provider of drone and artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the aviation industry. The agreement is part of Jet Aviation's continued commitment to innovation and to expanding its MRO services.

As part of the agreement, Jet Aviation has purchased automated drone technology from Donecle, which uses AI and advanced image analysis algorithms to enable fast and accurate aircraft inspections. By capturing detailed records of the aircraft, the technology can enhance the accuracy of existing services such as pre-purchase inspections (PPIs), while offering potential for new services centred around predictive maintenance.

“This is a fantastic step on our innovation journey, as we continue to explore new technologies to enhance our customer experience,” says Jeremie Caillet, senior vice president, regional operations EMEA. “Innovation is essential to continue to drive the industry forward and ensure we evolve to meet the rapidly changing expectations of our customers. AI is developing at an exciting pace and has the potential to play a central role in increasing efficiency and effectiveness across a wide range of MRO procedures. We are delighted to have entered into this agreement with Donecle and look forward to implementing and leveraging this cutting-edge technology in maintenance activities across our network.”

The Donecle drone and AI technology support operations for inspecting the external structure of aircraft, including lightning strike inspections, general visual inspections (GVIs), regulatory marking inspections and paint quality checks. The drones will arrive at Jet Aviation in June 2023 and the team will work together with Donecle to explore how the technology can potentially be integrated into operations to facilitate an even more seamless customer experience.

“This agreement marks a key milestone for Donecle, as this strategic partnership with Jet Aviation will allow us to expand our current scope by applying our technology to business aviation,” explains Matthieu Claybrough, Donecle CEO. “In this respect, Jet Aviation is the ideal partner due to the extent and variety of its offer, supported by a far-reaching and well-developed global network. Furthermore, both companies are motivated by a shared desire to explore new service offers based on Donecle's automated inspection technology. We are looking forward to moving ahead together.”