Delair
French fixed-wing UAV manufacturer and asset-management company.
Delair, originally called Delair-Tech, builds fixed-wing drones and analytics software, and also manages assets. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, the company has additional offices in Singapore, Beijing, Los Angeles, Paris, and Ghent. Its drones serve industries such as utilities, transportation, oil and gas, mining, agriculture, and emergency services. In June 2018, the World Economic Forum named Delair a Technology Pioneer.
The company was founded in 2011 by Michaël de Lagarde, Benjamin Benharrosh, Benjamin Michel, and Bastien Mancini. A year later, in 2012, its DT18 drone became the first UAV in France certified for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) communications. In 2016, Delair bought rival Gatewing from Trimble. Two years later, in 2018, it acquired the assets of former competitor Airware, which also brought in Redbird, a French data mining firm. That same year, Intel partnered with Delair to integrate its technology into Intel’s Insights drone platform, and Intel also invested in the company. On December 6, 2019, Stampede was announced as the U.S. distribution partner for Delair’s UX11 drone. In 2023, Delair supplied 150 UAVs to Kyiv. Then, in 2024, France ordered 2,000 UX11 "Colibri" suicide drones, with 100 of them destined for the front in Ukraine. These drones can be deployed in five minutes and carry a payload of up to 500 grams.
Quick Facts
- Former Name
- Delair-Tech
- Founded
- 2011
- Founder
- Michaël de Lagarde / Benjamin Benharrosh / Benjamin Michel / Bastien Mancini
- Hq Location City
- Toulouse
- Hq Location Country
- France
- Products
- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)
- Num Employees
- 120
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Delair was founded in 2011 by Michaël de Lagarde, Benjamin Benharrosh, Benjamin Michel, and Bastien Mancini. In 2012, the company's DT18 drone was certified as the first UAV for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) communications in France. The company purchased rival Gatewing from Trimble in 2016. In 2018, Delair purchased the assets of former competitor Airware, also acquiring Redbird, a French data mining company, in the same transaction. Also in 2018, Intel Corporation partnered with Delair to implement its technology into Intel's Insights drone platform, and Intel invested in the company. On 6 December 2019, Stampede was announced as the U.S. distribution partner for the Delair UX11 drone. In 2023, Delair supplied 150 UAV drones to Kyiv. In 2024, France announced an order of 2000 UX11 "Colibri" suicide drones, of which 100 will be sent to the front in Ukraine; these drones offer a 5-minute deployment time and a payload of up to 500g.
Reader's Guide
Delair's significance lies in its early certification for BVLOS communications in France, a milestone for UAV operations. The company's growth through acquisitions of Gatewing, Airware, and Redbird consolidated its position in the fixed-wing drone and data analytics market. Its partnership with Intel in 2018 and subsequent investment by Intel further integrated its technology into broader drone platforms. Delair's role in supplying drones to Kyiv in 2023 and the French government's 2024 order of 2000 UX11 "Colibri" suicide drones—with 100 destined for Ukraine—highlights its involvement in defense applications. The UX11's rapid deployment time and payload capacity underscore its tactical utility. Delair's recognition as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in June 2018 marks its acknowledgment in the technology sector.
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