Barfield Inc., a subsidiary of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) in the Americas, has confirmed an agreement with Viva Aerobus to provide Donecle’s drone solution for A320 fleet inspections.

It represents a milestone in the digitalisation of maintenance activities, and will mean Viva Aerobus can conduct indoor and outdoor aircraft inspections and train their operators.

Gilles Mercier, chief executive at Barfield, said: “This strategic partnership is more than just an agreement; it’s a significant step forward in our mission to bring cutting-edge solutions to our customers and partners in the Americas.

“We are honoured to contribute to Donecle’s extension in the drones’ market.”

Francisco Morgado Morfin, engineering and maintenance director of Viva Aerobus, said: “Thanks to Donecle’s unique and cutting-edge technology, we speed up our maintenance processes, improve our efficiency and increase reliability in our inspections, at the same time, it makes it easier for us to carry out traceability analysis by its data storage service.”

Barfield has been the official distributor of Donecle’s drones in the Americas for almost three years.

Based in France, Donecle specialises in drones for inspection. The core of their innovative solution is an autonomous drone designed to perform inspections without a pilot and GPS.

The solution integrates a drone and a software suite that facilitates mission assignment and uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to detect any damage and defect on the aircraft’s skin directly from a tablet interface.

The contract marks a new step in Barfield and Donecle’s vision of enhancing the efficiency and safety of aircraft maintenance operations. Barfield will ensure support and service for Viva Aerobus.

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