03:58 PM EDT, 10/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) said Friday it has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration to use drones for aircraft maintenance inspections.

The conditional approval is initially for visual inspections after lightning strikes. The drone inspections are also included in Delta's Aircraft Maintenance Manual for its mainline fleet, the company said.

The semi-autonomous drones capture images of aircraft without pilot control. Technicians then assess the photos and determine the aircraft's airworthiness.

Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) shares were up over 3% in recent trading.

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