Spanish aviation authority AESA has granted consulting firm Ineco approval for the use of autonomous drone systems for inspecting railway infrastructure. The drones, developed by HelixNorth, are positioned in container boxes at strategic points, from which they can be remotely controlled, conduct inspections, and autonomously return to the box or separate charging stations. The technology will be deployed by infrastructure operators Adif and Adif Alta Velocidad (AV) to reduce maintenance costs and optimise inspections, particularly in light of the increasing shortage of skilled personnel. The first test flights will take place from the Villarubia de Santiago maintenance base on the high-speed rail (HSR) line between Madrid and Andalusia.
