MRO & Manufacturing
AkzoNobel Launches Iris CMX Drone for Aircraft Coating Inspections
AkzoNobel introduces the Iris CMX drone with advanced sensors to improve aircraft coating inspections and enable predictive maintenance.
This article is based on an official press release from AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings.
AkzoNobel Unveils Iris CMX Drone for Automated Aircraft Coating Inspections
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings has announced the latest evolution of its Aerofleet Coatings Management service, introducing a new drone-enabled inspection tool designed to optimize aircraft maintenance. The new drone, named the Iris CMX (Coatings Management eXpert), was developed in partnership with French automated inspection specialist Donecle.
According to the official press release, the Iris CMX aims to transition airlines away from traditional time- or usage-based repainting schedules toward a data-driven, predictive maintenance model. By utilizing advanced sensor technology, the system provides operators with precise, quantitative insights into the health of their fleet’s exterior coatings, ultimately aiming to reduce costs and increase aircraft availability.
The Technology Behind Iris CMX
A 3-in-1 Sensor Approach
The core innovation of the Iris CMX lies in its 3-in-1 contact-based sensor. AkzoNobel states that this sensor directly measures coating performance by capturing quantitative data on dry film thickness, color data, and gloss measurements. This targeted, high-precision measurement joins two other core data inputs within the Aerofleet system to provide a comprehensive view of coating health.
The complete data profile now includes flight and environmental data (such as route profiles, UV exposure, and humidity), full-surface visual analysis conducted by the existing Iris GVI drone, and the new targeted measurements from the Iris CMX. According to the company, a trained team can operate both the Iris GVI and the Iris CMX simultaneously, one on each side of the aircraft. This dual-drone operation allows for a complete inspection of a narrowbody aircraft in approximately 30 minutes.
“Aerofleet Coatings Management has always been about giving airlines greater confidence in when and why they maintain or repaint their aircraft. From the outset, we had a clear roadmap to enhance the service with more advanced measurement capabilities. The addition of the Iris CMX brings precise, consistent measurement into the process to strengthen the data that underpins our predictive models. It also allows us to support expert assessment with more objective, consistent and repeatable inspections, while improving the speed and efficiency of the inspection process.”
Industry Implications and Sustainability
Moving Beyond Fixed Schedules
Historically, the aviation industry has relied on fixed schedules for aircraft repainting. Industry research notes that commercial aircraft are typically taken out of service to be repainted every six to seven years, regardless of the actual condition of the paint. This practice often results in planes being repainted while their existing coatings still possess viable life, leading to unnecessary downtime, high maintenance costs, and excess environmental waste.
AkzoNobel notes that the Aerofleet service, which initially launched in March 2023, is ideally suited for fleets of 100 aircraft or more. By feeding drone-collected data into a central database, airlines can build a continuously evolving picture of fleet health over time. Furthermore, the press release highlights that the Iris CMX can be utilized for quality control during Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) production and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) processes. By ensuring coatings meet specifications from the outset, facilities can reduce the likelihood of costly rework and unnecessary application.
Strategic Context and MRO Americas 2026
Showcasing at a Milestone Event
AkzoNobel will officially showcase the Iris CMX at the MRO Americas 2026 conference, scheduled for April 21–23 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Industry research indicates that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the event, which is expected to draw over 17,000 attendees and feature more than 1,000 exhibitors, providing a major platform for the new technology.
AirPro News analysis
We view the launch of the Iris CMX as a direct realization of AkzoNobel’s strategic investments over the past few years. In October 2023, AkzoNobel acquired a minority stake in Donecle, serving as a primary contributor in a €5.6 million funding round. Donecle, founded in 2015, has specialized in automated drone inspections, and this financial backing was explicitly targeted at integrating their machine-learning technology into the Aerofleet service.
The transition from manual, subjective visual inspections to automated, quantitative data collection represents a significant leap for airline operational efficiency. Furthermore, the sustainability angle is highly relevant in today’s regulatory environment. The aviation sector faces mounting pressure to reduce its environmental footprint. By extending the lifespan of aircraft coatings, potentially by up to a year, as targeted during Aerofleet’s initial 2023 launch, airlines can significantly reduce the consumption of chemical coatings and the energy-intensive processes required to strip and repaint airframes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Iris CMX?
The Iris CMX (Coatings Management eXpert) is a drone developed by AkzoNobel and Donecle. It is equipped with a 3-in-1 contact-based sensor designed to measure aircraft coating thickness, color, and gloss.
How long does a drone inspection take?
According to AkzoNobel, a trained team operating both the visual Iris GVI drone and the measurement-focused Iris CMX drone simultaneously can complete a full inspection of a narrowbody aircraft in approximately 30 minutes.
Who is the target market for this service?
The Aerofleet Coatings Management service is optimized for large airline operators managing fleets of 100 aircraft or more, as well as OEM and MRO facilities requiring strict quality control during the painting process.
Sources:
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings Press Release (April 13, 2026)
Supply Chain
Mobix Labs Wins Engine Connector Order for Fighters and Widebodies
Mobix Labs received a six-figure order from a tier-one supplier for EMI-filtered engine connectors on US fighters and wide-body jets.
Mobix Labs has received a six-figure production order from an unnamed tier-one aerospace and defense supplier for connectors used in engine systems on multiple U.S. fighter jet platforms and on wide-body commercial aircraft, extending its engine-system work across military and commercial aviation.
In a press release published through Business Wire on November 5, 2026, the company (Nasdaq: MOBX) said the order covers custom-engineered connectors filtered against electromagnetic interference (EMI) that protect engine control and monitoring electronics. The release does not name the supplier, the specific fighter or wide-body types, or the exact value of the order. It presents the award as the next step after F-16 production orders and what it calls a 500% increase in F-22 component orders.
What the order covers
Mobix Labs, which describes itself as a U.S.-based provider of advanced, mission-critical electronic components for aerospace and defense, said modern fighter jets operate in demanding electromagnetic environments, where radar, communications and electronic warfare systems coexist with digital engine controls. The company said its filtering helps protect engine electronics from that interference.
“From front-line U.S. fighter jets to the world’s largest commercial aircraft, engine reliability is nonnegotiable.”
Phil Sansone, chief executive officer of Mobix Labs, said the order reflects the expanding role of the company’s technology and its growing reach into commercial aviation. The company said the award supports its strategy of expanding into mission-critical aerospace and defense applications through specialized, high-reliability components for established aircraft programs. The release does not give a delivery schedule for the new order.
How the order builds on F-22 and F-16 work
Fighter programs
On April 2, 2026, Mobix Labs reported new and expanded activity on the F-22 Raptor program from Irvine, California, including a new customer and increased demand from an existing partner. That release described the combined activity as “approximately a five-fold increase in component orders,” with production underway to support deliveries in 2026.
On September 8, 2026, the company announced its initial F-16 connector order, placed by a veteran-owned U.S. aerospace sustainment contractor that supports the Air Force F-16 fleet. Those EMI-filtered connectors are made by its EMI Solutions unit at a military-approved facility in Irvine. The September release noted that the Air Force’s F-16 Service Life Extension Program extends upgraded aircraft from an original 8,000-hour service life to as much as 12,000 flight hours, supporting operation of parts of the fleet toward 2050.
Beyond fighters
According to the September release, Mobix Labs components are used on the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Its wider portfolio includes Apache helicopters, U.S. Navy shipboard secure communications systems, missile programs, Gulfstream aircraft, where AirPro News covered its Gulfstream component orders, and certified onboard systems for Boeing 737NG aircraft. The company operates through subsidiaries including EMI Solutions and RaGE Systems.
For scale, Mobix Labs said in an earlier release listed on its Business Wire page that revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, which ended September 30, 2026, would exceed $1.6 million, the midpoint of guidance of $1.4 million to $1.8 million issued on August 17, 2026.
The commercial backlog behind the pitch
To support the commercial side of the order, Mobix Labs cites figures from ADS, the UK trade association for aerospace, defence, security and space. In data published on August 31, 2026, ADS said the global commercial aircraft backlog reached a record 17,037 aircraft in July 2026, equal to more than 12 years of production at current delivery rates.
ADS reported that 1,573 aircraft were ordered in the first seven months of 2026, up 31% on the same period of 2025. Deliveries for January to July reached 794, the strongest performance for that period since 2018, but ADS said the backlog keeps growing because demand exceeds production, and it acknowledged supply chain and industrial challenges. Mobix Labs said engine supply is a critical factor in the pace of deliveries.
The company said it believes its U.S.-based manufacturing and its experience with high-reliability components position it for more military and commercial work. Its release also states that no assurance can be given of additional orders or revenue.
MRO & Manufacturing
Lufthansa Technik Extends PSA Airlines CF34 Engine Services Deal
Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey has signed a new multi-year CF34-8 engine services deal with PSA Airlines, a customer of more than 26 years.
Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey and PSA Airlines have signed a new multi-year agreement for CF34-8 engine services, extending a customer relationship that Lufthansa Technik says spans more than 26 years. The engines power PSA’s fleet of 60 CRJ700 and 94 CRJ900 regional jets.
Lufthansa Technik announced the agreement in a press release dated November 5, 2026, datelined Alzey and Charlotte. AERO Alzey, a wholly owned Lufthansa Technik subsidiary, will continue to provide comprehensive CF34-8 services to the American Airlines Group regional carrier.
What the agreement covers
Under the agreement, AERO Alzey will provide maintenance, performance restoration shop visits, on-site support, life limited part replacement shop visits and module shop visits. Lufthansa Technik did not disclose the value or the exact term of the contract beyond describing it as multi-year.
The company said the relationship is among the longest-standing in AERO Alzey’s CF34 engine business and has grown alongside PSA’s fleet growth and operational needs.
Matthew Key, Vice President of Technical Operations Strategy and Sourcing at PSA Airlines, said: “Relationships like this don’t last 26 years because of contracts.” He credited mutual reliability, mutual support and a focus on delivering results. Judith Wedlich-Blender, Chief Operations Officer of Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey, said: “Every engine we maintain in Alzey represents much more than a technical component.”
The carrier and the engine shop
PSA Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group and flies regional service as American Eagle. It has more than 5,500 employees and operates over 730 daily flights to more than 100 destinations across the United States. The carrier has also invested in its own maintenance infrastructure, including a Knoxville maintenance base that AirPro News covered in April 2025.
Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey GmbH provides manufacturer-independent engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for regional passenger aircraft and the latest-generation medium-haul jet engines. It has operated for over 35 years at its facility in Alzey, in the Rhine-Hessian region, where the 71,000 square meter site employs around 800 people. Its parent, Lufthansa Technik, employs more than 22,000 people worldwide.
Lufthansa Technik’s other recent engine news includes Flair Airlines’ 15-year LEAP-1B deal, covered by AirPro News in September 2026, and an expansion of Lufthansa Technik Engine Services in Tulsa, which the company’s newsroom lists under October 21, 2026.
MRO & Manufacturing
Liebherr-Aerospace Opens Sydney Office for Australasian Customers
Liebherr-Aerospace has opened a representative office in Sydney to serve Australia and New Zealand ahead of major Qantas fleet programs.
Liebherr-Aerospace has opened a representative office in Sydney to serve customers across Australia and New Zealand, as the Australian market prepares for major fleet programs including Qantas Group’s Project Sunrise. The office sits within the Liebherr Group’s existing facility in Pyrmont, New South Wales.
The company announced the opening in a press release dated November 5, 2026. It said the office will strengthen existing relationships, build new local ones and improve customer services in a region where aviation is undergoing significant fleet renewal and investment.
Why Australia and New Zealand
Liebherr-Aerospace described Australia and New Zealand as important markets for both commercial aviation and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities. The release ties the timing to three fleet programs in the Australian market: Project Sunrise with the Airbus A350-1000ULR, the introduction of the Airbus A321XLR and the modernization of the regional fleet of Qantas Airways (QF).
Joël Cadaux, Asia-Pacific Regional Head for the Aerospace & Transportation Division, said: “We are very pleased to be closer to our customers in Australia and New Zealand.” Andrew Schultz, Managing Director of Liebherr-Australia Pty Ltd, welcomed the division to the group’s Sydney facility. Liebherr-Australia has provided machinery, services and technical support across Australia since 1981.
How the office fits the Liebherr-Aerospace network
Liebherr-Aerospace supplies flight control and actuation systems, landing gear, air management systems, and gears, gearboxes and electronics for civil and military aircraft and helicopters. Its centers of excellence include Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH in Germany, for flight control, actuation, gears, gearboxes and landing gear systems, and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS in France, for air management systems. The Lindenberg company, founded in 1960, employs 3,490 people.
The Sydney office follows a similar regional step in India. In February 2019, Liebherr-Aerospace opened a larger regional office in Bangalore to support Indian operators, manufacturers and suppliers and to coordinate projects with Lindenberg and Toulouse. At the time, its customer service network also included centers in Singapore and Shanghai.
The company’s recent MRO work in the wider region includes China Airlines’ A350 nose landing gear contract, served through an asset exchange in Singapore. In Europe, it opened a heat transfer equipment center in France in October 2026.
Liebherr-Aerospace did not disclose how many people will work at the Sydney office.
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