On November 2023, Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) as part of Lufthansa Group and Airbus presented a new virtual reality system for pilot training at the Digital Summit 2023 in Jena. The so-called "Virtual Procedure Trainer" - developed by Airbus - enables an authentic view of an aircraft cockpit in 3D using VR glasses and a laptop. In this way standard operating procedures, which are practiced in a simulator so far, can be trained effectively and more sustainably. The digital training technology is currently being extensively tested by Lufthansa Group pilots.
With the VR glasses it is currently possible to simulate the cockpit of the A320 family. In future, the software will be able to render further types of aircraft, such as the A330 and A350 long-haul aircraft. Depending on the further development of the hardware, it is expected that the system can be used flexibly at different locations. The software can be used with VR equipment and by way of supplementation also via an iPad app.
The first two VR set-ups have been successfully installed in the LAT training center in Frankfurt and Vienna. As part of a test phase examining user acceptance as well as software and hardware potential, the extent is being investigated to which the VR solution can be integrated into the Lufthansa Group training environment in the best way possible. LAT, Lufthansa Group and Airbus collaborate closely in the further development of the software. The goal is an integration in the type rating course for all pilots of the supported aircraft types.