Alaska Airlines invests in VR flight training to enhance pilot preparation

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Alaska Airlines invests in VR flight training to enhance pilot preparation

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Sangita Woerner Senior Vice President, Marketing and Guest Experience | Alaska Airlines

By Sky Industry News

Apr 4, 2025

Alaska Airlines has announced an investment in Loft Dynamics, a leader in virtual flight training, as part of a collaboration to create advanced VR simulators. This investment, made through Alaska Star Ventures, aims to develop the first hyper-realistic, full-motion Boeing 737 VR simulator using extended reality (XR) technology.

Capt. Jeff Severns, Managing Director of Flight Operations Training at Alaska Airlines, expressed the potential of the VR simulator to transform pilot training. "Pilot training has significantly evolved over the past 30 years, from training solely in an aircraft to using full-flight simulators. With the potential of Loft’s hyper-realistic VR simulator, we could be transforming commercial pilot training as we know it today," Severns stated.

The partnership focuses on creating more efficient and effective training methods for pilots, addressing the crucial need for enhanced aviation safety amid a global pilot shortage. Loft Dynamics' VR simulators promise a compact and cost-effective solution compared to traditional full-motion simulators, enabling immersive training within a standard office space.

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Fabi Riesen, Founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics, highlighted the constraints of traditional simulators and the emerging role of VR as an influential training solution. "Traditional full-motion simulators have long been the gold standard for airline training, providing an essential and proven method for pilot instruction. However, their substantial footprint, high cost, and operational constraints limit scalability and accessibility," Riesen said.

Pasha Saleh, Director of Corporate Development at Alaska Airlines, underscored the significance of the new technology, stating, "Our investment in Loft Dynamics underscores our conviction in this technology, which enables hyper-realistic training of complex scenarios more effectively and more relevantly. Over time, this technology would enable us to bring critical training closer to the pilot base, reducing unnecessary travel and time while delivering industry-leading pilot training."

The collaboration foresees the installation of these state-of-the-art simulators at Alaska bases for enhanced pilot training, pending FAA approval. This initiative is expected to set a new standard for training in the aviation industry.