Emirates announces new virtual reality training for cabin crew

The futuristic, immersive digital journey of the Dubai airline will be a first for the industry and is in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is expected to be launched later this year.

An immersive Extended Reality (iXR) platform and capability is being developed for the Emirates Group’s cabin crew, new joiners, and the wider industry partner community. This will feature 3D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulated experiences, and more.

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Powered by AWS spatial computing and artificial intelligence, iXR will deliver technical capabilities with photorealistic experiences. These will be available across next-gen wearables and hand-held devices, including tablets and mobiles, with a consistent, hi-fidelity experience, streamed from the cloud.

In the first phase, iXR will have three distinct capabilities – a collaborative hub and social space, cabin crew training, and employee onboarding.

The hyperreal virtual world will enable the group’s new recruits to quickly and visually learn more about the organisation and its extensive business, the people and its culture, their own roles, and living in Dubai.

It will introduce an unparalleled 3D interactive experience to the airline’s award-winning cabin crew by creating a truly immersive environment. The crew will be transported into a meticulously constructed digital universe with virtual classrooms, engage with and learn from seasoned facilitators and peers, and navigate the intricate interiors of the airline’s flagship A380s and Boeing 777s. The environment will feature cabin service trainers, photorealistic avatars, and spatial audio for an authentic, sensory experience.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, commented: “The Emirates Group is synonymous with innovation and for always setting the bar high in the aviation industry. Our vision is to build a meaningful and practical XR capability that takes advantage of AI’s evolution. We are using XR capability that is scalable and spans across the breadth of our Group’s brands and businesses.

“iXR will establish us as the first and only airline with an embedded extended reality platform connecting its operations. It reflects our commitment to spearhead and entrench innovation and cutting-edge technologies in aviation for the benefit of our customers, communities and the industry.”

Al Opher, VP of Professional Services, AWS, added: “Extended Reality (XR) is a rapidly emerging technology that will propel the aviation industry into the future. It will have a profound impact on training, design, and innovative service propositions in safe environments that are immersive, performance-oriented, and efficient. We are thrilled to support the Emirates Group’s transition into the 3D Web era by offering expertise in infrastructure, AI, and spatial computing solutions.

“This collaboration will further equip Emirates employees to deliver unique and consistent end-customer experiences. Together, we are revolutionising the travel industry and raising the bar for new, exemplary experiences.”

Emirates Group leading the way

Dubai and the UAE are blazing the way in the digital economy, and Emirates Group is playing a key role.

The Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 is being repurposed as a hub to develop cutting-edge future experiences aligned with the UAE’s vision for the digital economy.

The airline pioneered web virtual reality (VR) technology on emirates.com and its app more than six years ago, offering an immersive 3D, 360-degree view of its aircraft cabin interiors. Emirates also has its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users accurate, life-size and interactive cabin interior experiences onboard Emirates’ flagship A380s and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.