Lufthansa airline has entered into a contract with drone developer DJI as a way of establishing plans to take advantage of the growing market for commercial aircraft. The deal will see Lufthansa tasked with inspection of drone surfaces and monitoring of wind farms.
According to Reuters, the Germany-based airline unveiled its plans to provide clients interested in using aircraft, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in this manner a single stop UAV shop from drone operation to data analysis. The corporation will also provide insurance services and pilot training.
Part of Lufthansa's consulting division, referred to as Lufthansa Aerial Services (LAS), unveiled on Tuesday, Jan. 26, that it would utilize China-based DJI's aerial systems. As a result, LAS will create applications and technology for latent clientele, according to China Technology News.
For instance, LAS envisions potential in operating aircraft equipped with thermal-imaging platforms. These platforms can be used to assess infrastructure such as solar farms, crops, railroad lines and construction sites.
Lufthansa airline pointed out that it had already commenced conducting a pilot project with wind turbine developers to analyze turbine blades using drones. On the other hand, its sister corporation, Lufthansa Technik, is utilizing drones to analyze the outer surfaces of aircraft for problems.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that EasyJet has also used drones to analyze its aircraft, while Lufthansa Aerial Services has come into a partnership with airport operator Fraport and German traffic controllers to evaluate the likelihood of using drones to inspect runways.
Besides the planned inspection of aircraft surfaces and monitoring wind farms, Lufthansa operates maintenance and catering divisions together with its conventional airline business. It is reported that in 2015, Lufthansa wanted to use its experience in pilot training, maintenance and flying to enter the field of commercial drones.
The company will decide on whether it will fully commit to drone services by the end of this year, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by Lufthansa's spokesperson.