Qatar Airways to trial cutting-edge VR training tool
Qatar Airways has announced that it is the global launch partner of Rolls-Royce’s new Virtual Reality (VR) training tool.
Recognised for its ongoing commitment to innovation, Qatar Airways is the first airline to trial the new technology as part of its engineering training plan.
The new tool is designed to provide engineers with RollsRoyce Trent XWB refresher training in a virtual environment without the need for a physical engine to work on.
Qatar Airways engineers will be the first in the industry to experience this cutting-edge technology.
The Trent XWB, which powers the Qatar Airways A350 fleet, is Rolls-Royce’s largest engine and must be separated before engineers can transport it for maintenance and repair.
Using HTC Vive equipment, engineers will be immersed in the process, using sight, sound, and touch to separate the two parts of the engine in a virtual setting, without the complexity and cost of a real engine.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive HE Akbar al-Baker said: “Qatar Airways is an airline of the future, and we constantly strive to deliver innovation in every area of our business.
“Our ultimate goal is to provide our customers with a quality on-board experience every time they travel, and by adopting the latest technology in our engineering department,
we aim to ensure that they arrive at their destination smoothly and without disruption.”
Rolls-Royce president (Civil Aerospace) Chris Cholerton said: “At Rolls-Royce, we are designing, testing, and maintaining engines in the digital realm, so it makes sense that we bring cutting-edge technology to our training programmes.
“In the same way pilots complete elements of their training in a simulator, certain engineering tasks can be taught through Virtual Reality.
“Qatar Airways was the first customer to take delivery of the Trent XWB, and their forward-thinking vision across their business makes them the perfect launch partner for this technology.”
The Rolls-Royce Virtual Reality training platform trial follows Qatar Airways’ first venture into the world of Virtual Reality when it became the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s global launch partner of RampVR in August 2018.
The award-winning system, pioneered by IATA, utilises the latest virtual-reality technology to simulate real air-side conditions for ground handling and ground service operator training.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), to more than 160 destinations worldwide.