Air New Zealand has teamed up with ST Engineering to trial the use of drones to inspect aircraft.
ST Engineering’s Aerospace arm is the world’s largest airframe MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) service provider with an extensive global network of facilities in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. The drone inspection trials Air New Zealand is collaborating on with ST Engineering take place at its facility next to Changi Airport in Singapore where Air New Zealand aircraft undergo heavy maintenance checks.
ST Engineering has developed an unmanned drone system, known as DroScan, which sees a drone take a planned route around the outside of an aircraft to inspect its surface and produce high definition images. These images are processed using a software with smart algorithms to detect and classify defects, which aircraft engineers can review and confirm, or carry out further inspection for defects if required.
Air New Zealand Chief Ground Operations Officer Carrie Hurihanganui says the airline is committed to exploring new and innovative ways of operating – including in the aircraft engineering space.
“Using a drone to inspect our aircraft will save time, taking around one to two hours, compared to up to six – depending on aircraft type – which means repairs can start sooner if needed, and our aircraft will be able to get back in the air more quickly.
“We’ve trialed using DroScan on a number of our aircraft undergoing maintenance inspections in Singapore now and believe using a drone will also help improve inspection quality. In future, there may be an opportunity to use the device in New Zealand, for example to conduct ad hoc inspections after lightning strikes.”
Deputy President of ST Engineering’s Aerospace sector Jeffrey Lam says, “Incorporating innovative technologies into aviation MRO holds great potential in enhancing the way aircraft get serviced. We are happy to be working with our like-minded partner, Air New Zealand which shares the same motivation and belief as us in exploring the full potential of technologies to improve maintenance work.
“We believe solutions such as DroScan will drive great value for the aviation industry given the huge emphasis it places on safety and efficiency, and we look forward to using it to great effects after we have completed the trials successfully with Air New Zealand.”
Further to the DroScan, Air New Zealand and ST Engineering are collaborating to manufacture a growing number of 3D printed replacement interior parts, and in data analytics to optimise maintenance activities.
The first Embraer E190F, a jet converted from passenger transport to freighter (E-Freighter), successfully concluded its inaugural flight in São…
The Government of Greece officially announced its plans to purchase 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin…
Cathay Cargo resumed its Ho Chi Minh City freighter service on April 4, 2024, after a four-year hiatus due to…
Skykraft has secured approval from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for its spectrum filing for a constellation of 2976 satellites.…
The U.S. Navy, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with…
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $559 million over five years to operate, maintain…
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) introduced the ARBEL, hailed as the world’s first computerized small arms system, on Thursday (Apr. 4).…
Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service (GFS) has integrated the H175 helicopter flight simulator developed by Indra into their training regimen.…
After a hiatus of over 30 years, Air Canada is set to return to Singapore's Changi International Airport with the…
FLY91, India's youngest regional airline, announced a partnership with IBS Software on Wednesday (Apr. 3). Aiming to enhance its commercial…
Malaysia Airlines announced its partnership with RECARO Aircraft Seating to equip its upcoming Airbus A330neo aircraft with the CL3810 economy…
Rolls-Royce announced that the company has begun flight testing its latest aero engine the Pearl 10X on its dedicated Boeing…
Avolon, a global aviation finance company, has agreed to sell and lease back four new Airbus A330neo aircraft with Cebu…
Malaysia Airlines and India’s largest airline, IndiGo, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a codeshare partnership…
The Indonesian flag carrier airline, Garuda Indonesia, unveiled plans to expand its aircraft fleet with the procurement of eight new…
Belgian Defence has placed an order for six R7 Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) from Exail. These unmanned underwater vehicles are…
Greenerwave, a deeptech start-up specialising in the control of electromagnetic waves, launched its first SATCOM user terminal after securing EUR15…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Aerotor Unmanned Systems have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), outlining their collaboration in…
GE Aerospace officially launched as an independent public company on Tuesday (Apr. 2), marking an important milestone in the aviation…
Dassault Aviation has inaugurated a new ExecuJet Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aimed at enhancing…
France’s Naval Group and Indonesian state-owned shipyard PT PAL signed a contract with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence in Jakarta…
Korean Air finalized a firm order for 33 aircraft, including 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s on Tuesday (Apr. 2). The…
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) faces a setback as its new frigate program gets postponed due to a substantial cut…
Following a note exchange between Japan's Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Tokyo in December…
Korean Air unveils new eco-friendly uniforms for maintenance, aerospace, cargo, and ground handling employees, to be rolled out from April…
Rheinmetall House in Bristol, UK, has officially opened as the new headquarters for Vehicle Systems International (VSI), following its recent…
SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC) wishes to announce that it has agreed with Pratt and Whitney (PW) to exit from…
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has entered into a multi-year engine services agreement with Indian regional airline FLY91 for the…
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully completed the maiden flight of the first Series Production Tejas Mk-1A light fighter (LA5033).…
Fincantieri and the Indonesian Ministry of Defence signed a 1.18-billion-euro contract for the supply of two Thaon di Revel-class Multipurpose…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.