If the past few months of news have been any indication, one U.S. airline is taking bold steps into the future of aviation technology. That’s Delta Air Lines. And though some might not consider Delta to be a “technology” company the way something like drone maker DJI or Waymo’s driverless cars truly are a tech company, it’s proving to be a leader in aviation tech.

That was made especially clear at CES 2025, which is the world’s largest tech trade show. There, Delta put on a huge, concert-like keynote at the Las Vegas Sphere, that in itself include a musical performance from Lenny Kravitz and brought in other A-list celebrities, like Viola Davis, to the stage.

But for the drone world, CES 2025 was perhaps most interesting for the slew of drone product launches and announcements. And yes, even Delta had some news relevant to the drone industry.

Delta Concierge expands to include Joby’s electric air taxis

One of the highlights of Delta’s CES 2025 announcements was the integration of its Delta Concierge service with Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi network. With the new team-up, Delta Concierge service will connect with Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, allowing travelers to take a ride in Joby’s electric air taxis from home to the airport to catch a Delta flight.

The news could potentially transform the home-to-airport journey. The service promises to bypass traffic, offering what they claim is a faster, more sustainable alternative to traditional ground transportation.

Now before you get too excited, know that practical details remain scare. Sure, the concept is promising, but Delta has offered little other information about the feasibility and accessibility of such a service. Details about costs, routes, and timelines for implementation have not been fully outlined, leaving travelers and industry experts to wonder how this service might fit into the broader travel landscape. Still, the move underscores Delta’s efforts to position itself as a forward-thinking airline that is open to future-thinking companies like Joby, even if tangible benefits are still on the horizon.

For what it’s worth, Joby Aviation, which is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, is not officially a drone company. Joby specializes in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which are designed for human transportation, not uncrewed drone operations — though they share some technological similarities with drones such as electric propulsion and vertical flight capabilities.

FAA approval for drone maintenance inspections

In another industry-first, Delta received FAA Certificate Management Office concurrence to use drones for fleet maintenance inspections. This nugget of news was actually announced in October 2024, well ahead of CES — but it’s time to circle back to it.

That’s because Delta now holds a key FAA approval that allows the airline to incorporate small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) into their maintenance operations. The initial focus is on inspecting aircraft after lightning strikes.

For now, Delta has approval from regulators to fly the drones indoors and outdoors at its maintenance facilities in Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis.

The drones, which are semi-autonomous, capture images of the aircraft to be reviewed by trained technicians. Delta touts this as a safer and faster alternative to traditional inspection methods. Drones reduce the need for technicians to work at heights and accelerating decision-making processes by up to 82%. In fact, according to Delta, manually inspection a wide-body jet like the Airbus A350-900 (which is — at its tallest point — is the height of a four-story building) can take as long as 16 hours. A drone in tandem with inspectors can do the job in 90 minutes.

“These drones are not here to replace our people, they are here as tools to help them,” Emma Galarza, a senior engineer with Delta TechOps, said in a blog post on Delta’s website.

Still, though, the FAA is limiting how much Delta can use drones for. Approval is currently limited to non-safety critical inspection work such as looking for paint blemishes. But, Delta’s TechOps team has suggested it hopes to receive broader approval for using drones for more maintenance work.

How other airlines are using drones

Delta is hardly the first or only airline to use drones. In May 2023, Japan Airlines announced a partnership with Silicon Valley tech startup Wisk Aero. The deal would bring self-flying, all-electric air taxi services to Japan, mirroring Delta’s vision with Joby.

And to mirror Delta’s vision for aircraft inspections, other airlines have already done it. In July 2022, Brazilian airline LATAM began tests to use drones in the exterior inspection of its aircraft fuselages. LATAM said that — in its early tests — drone-based inspections reduced the process from the usual eight hours to just 40 minutes.

What the future could look like for Delta as it embraces drones

Delta’s drone initiative is positioned as a way to minimize delays and cancellations by expediting aircraft inspections. The company has integrated the use of drones into its Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) for its mainline fleet. That signals a significant shift in how inspections are conducted.

Delta’s moves into air taxis and drone inspections are ambitious, and they aren’t without their own roadblocks. Electric air taxis face significant regulatory and infrastructure hurdles. Don’t expect Joby rides to your Delta flights anytime soon. These initiatives, while innovative, may take years to deliver on their promises fully.

Still, though, Delta’s latest announcements underscore the airline’s ambition to be a leader in aviation technology. Here at The Drone Girl, I’ll be watching closely to see how these ambitious plans evolve in the coming years.

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