Alaska Airlines to develop and deploy first Boeing 737 VR simulators
April 7, 2025
Alaska Airlines has announced an investment in Loft Dynamics, a leader in virtual flight training and the developer of the only FAA- and EASA-qualified virtual reality helicopter flight simulator.
The investment, made through Alaska Star Ventures, the airline’s corporate venture capital arm, will support the development of the first hyper-realistic, full-motion Boeing 737 virtual reality simulator.
Using extended reality technology and techniques, the simulator will aim to enhance Alaska’s pilot training programme and contribute to future industry-wide training solutions.
Fabi Riesen, Founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics, said: “Alaska 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 is once again moving the industry forward.
“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.”
Traditional full-motion simulators are widely regarded as the gold standard for pilot training, but their large size, high cost and limited flexibility have posed significant challenges in terms of scalability and access.
With these limitations in mind, virtual reality is emerging as a solution for the future of flight training.
Alaska’s investment in Loft Dynamics will help support both the financial development and technical collaboration needed to create a Boeing 737 VR simulator.
The airline’s flight operations training team will also contribute expertise throughout the process. Once developed, approved and built, the simulators are set to be installed at various Alaska Airlines bases for use in pilot training.
The new simulators are expected to feature a six-degrees-of-freedom full-motion platform for realistic motion feedback, a 360-degree panoramic 3D view, full-body pose tracking, and customisable training environments. Designed to be more compact than traditional systems, the simulators will require just one-twelfth of the space taken up by conventional full-flight models, allowing for greater accessibility and flexibility.
Pilots will also benefit from a virtual demonstration mode that lets instructors record and replay immersive training sessions. Additionally, integration with the LoftSPATIAL app for Apple Vision Pro will enable pilots to access training tools remotely, using spatial computing for anytime, anywhere training.
