JAL Engineering and Prodrone begin technical cooperation regarding drones

Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (location: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Yuji Akasaka, hereinafter referred to as "JAL") and Prodrone Co., Ltd. (location: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, CEO: Shunsuke Toya, hereinafter referred to as "Prodrone") have signed a basic agreement regarding technical cooperation with the aim of realizing safe air transportation using drones. Technical cooperation will be carried out by JAL Engineering Co., Ltd. (located in Ota-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Ryo Tamura, hereinafter referred to as "JALEC"), which is responsible for aircraft maintenance for the JAL Group. Drones are currently used for a variety of purposes, including logistics, equipment inspection, and surveying, but with the enforcement of the revised Civil Aeronautics Act on December 5, 2022, concerning unaided visual range flight (Level 4 flight) in manned areas, the market is expected to expand in the future, and at the same time, there is a greater need than ever to improve the safety and reliability of aircraft manufacturing, maintenance, and operation. Aircraft and drones have similarities in the concept of design and maintenance in order to ``continue flight to a point where it is safe to land,'' and there are also compatibility in the parts used such as altimeters. JALEC and ProDrone will contribute to the development of drones as a new social infrastructure by collaborating and leveraging JALEC's knowledge of safe operation and technological capabilities cultivated through aircraft maintenance, and Prodrone's aircraft development capabilities. ◆Contents of technical cooperation between the two companies (1) Collaboration and cooperation regarding drone manufacturing and maintenance (2) Collaboration and cooperation regarding improving drone safety technology and obtaining Civil Aviation Authority certification (3) Mutual collaboration and cooperation regarding other drones

■About JAL Engineering Co., Ltd.　　　　　http://www.jalec.co.jp/ Established in 2009 through the integration of four JAL Group maintenance companies and JAL's main maintenance headquarters, excluding some functions. With our main bases at Haneda, Narita, and Itami airports, we are in charge of maintaining and formulating and managing maintenance plans for approximately 200 aircraft operated by the JAL Group, including JAL, J-Air, ZIPAIR Tokyo, and Spring Japan.We support air safety through high-quality maintenance that utilizes the wide range of knowledge and advanced technology we have cultivated over many years of experience. ■About Prodrone Co., Ltd. https://www.prodrone.com/jp With the vision of "becoming the most trusted drone company in the region," we aim to build a drone ecosystem in the Chubu region. We carry out one-stop in-house development and production of industrial drones, including the PD6B-Type3 multicopter, which has a maximum payload of 30kg and has begun mass production, and the PDH-GS120 helicopter, which can fly for two hours and has excellent weather resistance.