ANA HOLDINGS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Swiss drone manufacturer Wingtra AG to evaluate wide-area surveying and inspection services across Japan. Announced on March 16, 2026, the partnership leverages Wingtra’s vertical take-off and landing VTOL fixed-wing technology, including the WingtraRAY drone, to enable efficient infrastructure inspections and rapid disaster assessments.
This initiative aligns with ANA HOLDINGS Medium-term Corporate Strategy for FY2026-2028, targeting commercial drone services by 2027. The companies aim to combine ANA’s aviation safety expertise with Wingtra’s innovations to address limitations of conventional rotary-wing drones in large-scale operations.
A demonstration at Mount Unzen-Fugen in Nagasaki Prefecture validated the technology, with the Wingtra drone surveying 150 hectares in a 30-minute flight and detecting minute cracks and structural deformations.
We are thrilled to team up with Wingtra to scale our drone solutions across the surveying and inspection landscape, said Yoshiaki Tsuda, Executive Vice President of ANA HOLDINGS. Combining Wingtra’s innovation with our airline expertise allows us to provide robust solutions for Japan’s infrastructure monitoring and disaster response.
ANA HOLDINGS is discussing a domestic sales agency for the WingtraRAY and comprehensive support services, including pilot training and maintenance. The firm also plans to support acquiring Japan’s Class 1 Type Certification, enabling advanced Level 4 beyond visual line of sight operations over populated areas.
Japan represents a robust market with significant potential for industrial drone adoption, and we are eager to partner with ANA HOLDINGS to accelerate this growth, said Karsten Robbins, Vice President of Sales at Wingtra.