INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business
Virgin Atlantic explores
Augmented Reality app for
cabin crew training
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V
irgin Atlantic is introducing
innovative training technology – as
part of an innovation collaboration
with SITA, a leading global IT provider –
that allows the airline’s cabin crew to use
Augmented Reality to familiarise themselves
with new aircraft.
Using an iOS app, cabin crew use
Augmented Reality to walk through and
acquaint themselves with the layout of
Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner
aircraft without even visiting the airport
or getting onto the plane. To complement
the existing classroom-based training,
this app allows crew members to see the
cabin projected as a portal in front of
them and are able to ‘walk into’ the cabin.
The AR app simulates the full-size view of
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the interior cabin, giving crew a feel for
their new working environment, including
accurate spatial awareness. This allows
the airline to train crew on new aircraft in
a fun and engaging way from the airline’s
headquarters in Crawley, London.
Augmented Reality presents several
interesting use cases in the air transport
industry, ranging from sales, training,
operations and improvement to the
passenger experience. SITA Lab, SITA’s
strategic technology research arm, and
Virgin Atlantic have teamed up to identify
and test some of the more promising use
cases, starting with the crew training app.
Don Langford, CIO of Virgin Atlantic, said:
“Today, innovation is the lifeblood of a
modern airline. New technologies such as
Augmented Reality hold out the promise
to better manage our airline operations
while providing an enriched experience to
our increasingly tech-savvy passengers.
SITA has long been a partner in exploring
the frontiers of technology and this AR
application is no exception.”
Gustavo Pina, Head of SITA Lab, said: “SITA
Lab has identified Augmented Reality as
one of the emerging technologies that will
benefit the air transport industry in the years
to come. Working with pioneering airlines
such as Virgin Atlantic makes it possible for
SITA Lab to really explore the potential of
Augmented Reality and evaluate its business
benefits. This project is a vital step in that
journey of exploration.” n
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