{"id":833999,"date":"2025-04-04T08:49:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T12:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/alaska-airlines-announces-investment-in-loft-dynamics-and-partnership-to-develop-and-deploy-first-boeing-737-vr-simulators\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T08:49:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T12:49:29","slug":"alaska-airlines-announces-investment-in-loft-dynamics-and-partnership-to-develop-and-deploy-first-boeing-737-vr-simulators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/alaska-airlines-announces-investment-in-loft-dynamics-and-partnership-to-develop-and-deploy-first-boeing-737-vr-simulators\/","title":{"rendered":"Alaska Airlines announces investment in Loft Dynamics and partnership to develop and deploy first Boeing 737 VR simulators"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PR Newswire<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n In a first for global airlines, Alaska Airlines will lend expertise from its industry-leading training program to inform development of next generation simulators. <\/i>
\n Loft enters fixed-wing market, bringing FAA- and EASA-qualified VR technology to commercial airline training.<\/i>\n <\/p>\n

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\n SEATTLE<\/span> and ZURICH<\/span><\/span>, April 4, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ —\u00a0Ushering in the next era of pilot training, Alaska Airlines has announced an investment in Loft Dynamics \u2014 an industry leader in virtual flight training and the developer of the only FAA- and EASA-qualified virtual reality (VR) helicopter flight simulator. The investment made through Alaska Star Ventures, Alaska’s<\/span> corporate venture capital arm, will support development of the first hyper-realistic, full-motion Boeing 737 VR simulator, using extended reality (XR) technology and techniques, with the goal of enhancing Alaska’s<\/span> pilot training program and informing future training solutions across the industry.<\/p>\n

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“Alaska<\/span> has a long history of pioneering aviation advancements, from launching the first online ticket sales to becoming the first airline to design and implement satellite-based approaches. Now, by investing in the development of full-motion VR simulators, Alaska<\/span> is once again moving the industry forward,” said Fabi Riesen<\/span>, founder and CEO at Loft Dynamics. “With aviation safety as a top priority and a global pilot shortage still looming, this partnership paves the way for airlines worldwide to train the next generation of exceptional pilots more efficiently and effectively than ever before.”<\/p>\n

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. As airlines, operators, and regulators seek more flexible solutions, VR is emerging as a powerful and influential solution.<\/p>\n

“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,” said Capt. Jeff Severns<\/span>, managing director of flight operations training at Alaska Airlines. “These VR simulators could provide a fully immersive, high-fidelity, data-driven experience that replicates real-world flight scenarios \u2014 all in a device compact enough to fit in a standard office. This accessibility could allow pilots to train more frequently and refine their skills with greater efficiency. We are committed to offering the most advanced training solutions available, including VR, and look forward to being Loft’s first fixed-wing customer.”<\/p>\n

\n Alaska<\/span> is supporting Loft in the development of a Boeing 737 full-motion VR flight simulator with the financial investment and the expertise of its flight operations training department. As part of this partnership \u2014 and once the VR simulators are developed, built and approved \u2014 Alaska<\/span> and Loft aim to install them at individual Alaska<\/span> bases for pilot training. These state-of-the-art simulators will feature:<\/p>\n