Flyability and Bureau Veritas Collaborate to Bring Safer and More Efficient Inspections in Maritime and Offshore

PARIS, FRANCE - Flyability, a pioneer in indoor inspection drones, and Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) services, collaborate to enhance asset inspections in the maritime and offshore industries through the integration of advanced drone technology and regulatory expertise.

Quote from Alexander Gregg-Smith on the use of Flyability's  Remote Inspection Techniques

The maritime and offshore sectors face unique challenges when it comes to asset integrity. Vessels are under constant threat of corrosion and structural damage. Traditional inspections of cargo holds, COTs, ballast tanks, FPSOs, and offshore platforms often require scaffolding, rope access, or sending personnel into hazardous, confined spaces. By combining Flyability’s specialized collision-tolerant drones with Bureau Veritas’s extensive inspection framework, the partnership will deliver a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative.

“Inspection drones are transforming maritime inspections by making access to confined and difficult spaces safer and more efficient. They provide high-quality digital inspection data that supports better decision-making and long-term asset management. Most importantly, they allow surveyors and crews to reduce exposure to hazardous environments whilst maintaining high inspection standards,” says Redouane Assad, Fleet Management Director at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.

Learn more about the collaboration between Bureau Veritas and Flyability:

“At Bureau Veritas, we see UT drones as a very promising evolution of remote inspection techniques. Bureau Veritas and Flyability are working together to advance the use of drone-based inspection technologies in the maritime industry,” says Alexander Gregg-Smith, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.

Flyability’s Elios 3 UT drones are uniquely engineered to operate in GPS-denied, complex, and confined environments, making them ideal for the intricate internal structures of ships and offshore vessels. This drone collects high-resolution visual data, 3D mapping information, and ultrasonic thickness measurements, which provides surveyors with a comprehensive overview of the condition of the inspected structure. When inspections are carried out according to approved procedures and operational requirements, the data collected by the Elios 3 UT can meet BV's guidelines for class-approved inspection activities.

The Elios 3 single-crystal UT probe underwent a serious validation process from Bureau Veritas to validate compliance with their standards for data collection. This included accuracy assessments for the ultrasonic thickness measurement probe (UT Payload), repeatability tests, operational trials in representative vessel environments, and comparisons against conventional inspection methods to assess compliance with BV requirements.

Watch here the full interview to learn how Bureau Veritas tested and deployed their fleet of Elios 3’s.

Quote from Redouane Assad on the collaboration between Flyability and Bureau Veritas

 Helping ensure the safety of surveyors and crew while maintaining operational efficiency is a top priority for the maritime industry. This collaboration combines Bureau Veritas’ 200-year heritage in maritime safety with state-of-the-art robotics, bringing a new standard of inspection to maritime clients globally. 

Quote from Matteo Saglia on the adoption of Remote Inspection Techniques 

About Flyability

Flyability is a Swiss company developing solutions for the remote inspection of indoor, inaccessible, and confined spaces. By allowing drones to be used safely inside ships and offshore vessels, the Elios 3 UT is helping owners and inspection professionals to reduce downtime, inspection costs, and risks to workers. The UT payload is a critical enabler for remote, class-compliant ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM), making it a complete NDT solution for the maritime industry.