24 December, 2018: HAECO Xiamen, is a leading Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) service provider in Asia Pacific has successfully conducted a trial to carry out aircraft inspection assisted by drones within the company’s facilities, working closely with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (“CAAC”), Xiamen Airport, Xiamen Air Traffic Management Station and other local authorities.
Drones provide a safe, accurate and efficient tool to assist in aircraft visual inspection outside the hangars when necessary, for areas such as vertical and horizontal stabilisers, upper surfaces of the fuselage, and wings, providing a high-definition traceable visual record of aircraft exterior conditions when required. HAECO Xiamen has developed a set of approved general technical instructions and operating procedures for the drone-assisted aircraft inspection operated by licensed staff. The drones, fitted with the latest collision avoidance technology, are programmed to operate at a predefined distance from the aircraft surfaces and within predefined geofences to ensure safe operations.