Alaska Airlines invests in VR to transform 737 pilot training

Alaska Airlines is spearheading a new chapter in aviation training with a strategic investment in Loft Dynamics, a pioneer in virtual reality (VR) flight simulation. Through Alaska Star Ventures, the airline’s corporate venture arm, the partnership aims to develop the world’s first hyper-realistic, full-motion Boeing 737 VR simulator, using cutting-edge extended reality (XR) technologies.

This initiative seeks to complement and potentially transform traditional pilot training methods, which have long relied on full-motion simulators. While effective, these legacy simulators are expensive, space-consuming and operationally limited. The proposed VR-based system offers a far more scalable, accessible and immersive alternative — a shift that could reshape training standards not just for Alaska Airlines, but across the aviation sector.

Alaska’s collaboration with Loft Dynamics will draw on both financial support and technical input from the airline’s own flight operations training team. Once completed and approved by regulators, these simulators are planned to be installed at various Alaska training bases.

The VR simulator will offer an immersive training experience by integrating several advanced features. These include a six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform that mimics the forces and sensations of actual flight, a 360-degree panoramic 3-D view for accurate visual cues and full-body pose tracking, enabling real-time interaction within the cockpit environment. Trainees will also benefit from customisable scenarios to safely practise complex manoeuvres and emergency responses.

Additional innovations include a virtual demonstration mode, allowing instructors to record full lessons for future replay, and the LoftSPATIAL app for Apple Vision Pro, offering portable spatial computing-based training.

Significantly smaller than conventional simulators — requiring only one-twelfth of the space — the VR units provide unmatched flexibility. While formal FAA approval is expected in the coming years, Alaska and Loft are already exploring how the new system could supplement current FAA-mandated training, accelerating the integration of VR into mainstream pilot development.