Donecle
Donecle, a Toulouse company, builds drones that inspect aircraft automatically, using image analysis to find structural damage, lightning strikes and paint defects. JetBlue is rolling it out across its fleet.
Founded in 2015 with 51 to 200 staff, it raised 10 million euros in April 2026 to expand internationally. Its Iris drone inspects the aircraft autonomously, so staff no longer need access to the upper surfaces, and its software turns the images into inspection reports. It says Iris is the only drone approved by the FAA and EASA and listed in Boeing and Airbus maintenance manuals, a claim only partly corroborated. Iris dentCHECK, built with 8tree, adds 3D dent mapping.
JetBlue's rollout runs through Barfield, the Americas subsidiary of AFI KLM E&M, from April 2026. Air France has used the drones for more than two years, and LATAM Brasil, Austrian Airlines, Jet Aviation and the Royal Air Force are also named users; AAR in Miami adopted it in 2019. The company reports more than 40 drones in 15 countries.
No verified deployments yet
Donecle is profiled in the companies register, but no deployment has been verified against published evidence. Records are added as evidence is reviewed and graded.
Products & Solutions
3 productsIris GVI - Autonomous Aircraft Inspection Drone
Fully autonomous drone platform for external visual inspection of aircraft structures and components. Uses patented laser-based positioning (no GPS or external sensor required) to autonomously scan the complete external surface of narrowbody aircraft in under one hour.
Manual aircraft visual inspections take 6-12 hours, require unsafe access to upper surfaces, produce inconsistent and subjective results, and leave limited traceability. The Iris GVI reduces inspection time by up to 10x, eliminates the need for elevated access equipment, and produces repeatable, objective digital records.
- Pilotless autonomous flight launched from a tablet interface
- Patented laser positioning, no GPS or external sensor required
- Complete external surface coverage including lower surfaces
- Full narrowbody inspection in under 1 hour
7 more features
- Single flight completes multiple job cards
- Indoor and outdoor operation
- Obstacle detection and fail-safe hardware redundancy
- Automatic camera gimbal adjustment for curved surfaces
- Defect detection resolution down to 1 mm2
- Compatible with Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer narrowbody families
- Cloud-based digital inspection history and reporting
Technical specifications (7)
- Camera: 24 MP, resolution 16 px/mm2
- Defect detection: down to 1 mm2
- Positioning: centimetric accuracy via laser technology
- Inspection time: narrowbody aircraft in under 1 hour
- Operation: indoor and outdoor, pilotless
- Compatible aircraft families: Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737 family, Embraer narrowbodies
- Fleet scale: 40+ drones deployed in 15+ countries (as of April 2026)
- Listed in Airbus Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), A320 family lightning strike inspections
- Listed in Boeing Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), 737-800 zonal general visual inspections
- Approved by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)
- Approved by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
Donecle Image Analysis and Inspection Software Platform
AI-powered software platform that processes high-resolution images captured by Donecle drones, performs automated defect detection and classification, and generates structured inspection reports. Images are mapped onto a 3D aircraft model with precise structural positioning (frames, stringers, ribs).
Manual image review and report writing after aircraft inspections is time-consuming, subjective, and produces inconsistent records. The software automates defect suggestion, structural positioning, report generation, and long-term trend tracking, reducing analysis time and improving repeatability and traceability.
- 3D aircraft model visualization with image overlay and navigation tools
- Machine learning defect detection and suggestion for inspector validation
- Automated lightning strike detection and precise frame/stringer location mapping
- Automated regulatory marking and placard compliance check with missing P/N identification
7 more features
- Automated paint wear evaluation, rivet/screw rash and peeling mapping
- Automated report generation for GVI, lightning strikes, paint, and markings
- Multiple job cards completed from a single drone flight dataset
- Secure cloud storage of all inspection data and reports
- Remote access and team sharing of inspection reports
- Digital aircraft history enabling defect evolution tracking across inspections
- Dashboard for drone and software management
Technical specifications (6)
- Defect positioning accuracy: frame and stringer level structural location
- Lightning strike detection: automated via computer vision algorithms
- Marking check: automated comparison against customer P/N database
- Paint wear: automated mapping of rivet/screw rash and peeling across aircraft skin
- Data storage: secure cloud platform
- Interface: tablet-based mission assignment and report review
- Listed in Airbus AMM and Boeing AMM as part of the approved Iris GVI solution
Iris dentCHECK - Autonomous 3D Dent Mapping Drone
Autonomous drone integrating the 8tree dentCHECK 3D sensor for automated detection and measurement of dents and buckles on aircraft external surfaces. The drone flies autonomously around designated aircraft zones and the 3D sensor captures dent depth and location data.
Manual dent detection and measurement is time-consuming, unreliable, and highly dependent on technician technique. The Iris dentCHECK automates this process, delivering results 50 times faster than manual methods with 25x more consistent depth measurement.
- Autonomous flight around designated aircraft zones (flaps, slats, radome, doors, fuselage)
- Integrates 8tree dentCHECK 3D sensor
- Detects and measures dents and buckles down to 0.1 mm depth accuracy
- 50x faster than manual dent mapping
4 more features
- 25x more consistent dent depth measurement than traditional methods
- Reduces dent-mapping and reporting time by 90%
- Validated on military Rafale aircraft
- Civil aviation pilot program launched 2025
Technical specifications (6)
- 3D sensor: 8tree dentCHECK
- Depth accuracy: 0.1 mm
- Speed: 50x faster than manual methods
- Coverage zones: flaps, slats, radome, doors, fuselage
- Operation: autonomous, no pilot required
- Validated platform: Dassault Rafale (military)
- Validated in military sector on Dassault Rafale; civil aviation approvals pending pilot program
Profile data from the Aerostack companies register; deployment records from the verified register. Evidence grades: T1 first-party confirmation, T2 credible reporting. See Our approach for how records are graded.