Emirates, one of the world's largest airlines, has announced that it will use MIRA, its self-developed 3D virtual training platform, for the airline's number one priority: safety. The airline's rapidly growing 23,000-strong cabin crew, responsible for the safety of millions of passengers each year, will soon be able to complete their repeatable SEP (Safety and Emergency Procedures) training on MIRA.

The virtual reality training, which can be self-guided without the need for any guidance, has been designed in accordance with the requirements of the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and other regulatory bodies, while maintaining the integrity and quality of Emirates' outstanding training programs.

The MIRA platform offers full modeling of photorealistic, high-resolution cabin interiors of Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft. The training also includes details such as emergency slides, runway areas, air bridges, water and land landscapes. In addition to the hyper-realistic audio and visuals used during training, multiplayer scenarios ensure that standard operating procedures are accurately simulated through reserve crew members supported by avatars.

Emirates' cabin crew, whose main responsibility is to ensure inflight safety, have become a symbol of the airline and are recognized for providing the airline's signature service. Designed to complement the existing methodology, SEP training at MIRA will initially begin with two modules on the core elements of inflight safety: door operations and firefighting.

Opening and closing heavy aircraft doors correctly requires hands-on skill and experience. If opened incorrectly, the emergency slide can inflate, damaging the aircraft and air bridges or causing injury. Cabin crew are therefore required to complete annual recurrent SEP training.

In the near future, Emirates cabin crew will conduct virtual drills to demonstrate and assess their competence in normal and emergency door operations and standard operating procedures.

Fire-fighting skills are also an important part of cabin crew competency. MIRA will include a series of scenarios for fires in the oven, overhead lockers and lavatories. Cabin crew will demonstrate their skills using a realistically modeled fire extinguisher with visual and audio effects of smoke and flames as well as extinguishing agents.

Captain Bader Al Marzooqi, Senior Vice President, Flight Training, said: “At Emirates, we are preparing our crews for the airline's next era of growth and expansion by integrating the latest innovations with our leadership, best practices and excellence in training. With 315 aircraft on order and an ambitious growth roadmap of 30,000 cabin crew by 2030, effective and efficient SEP training is an absolute must. With MIRA, we can now quickly and significantly increase our crew training to meet business demands. This is a bold and strategic move that shapes our training approach for the future.”

Virtual reality headsets and 3D modules can be operated in three different modes: teaching, practice and evaluation. Approximately 8-10 cabin crew can be trained and evaluated simultaneously on the same scenario in their own VR spaces.

Thanks to the 2D version, which can be accessed from all mobile devices, laptops and desktops, cabin crew will no longer need to go to training venues with restrictive schedules. Whether relaxing at home, on the road or even on the way to work, cabin crew will be able to practice and refresh their knowledge anytime and anywhere. Not having to build and maintain more facilities, interiors and equipment will result in significant ecological and cost savings.

The training team can recreate complex or dangerous situations of any intensity in a safe environment. This allows the crew to practice worst-case scenarios and repeat training until they are fully competent and confident in dealing with emergencies. MIRA training can also help cabin crew to consolidate their knowledge and understanding in an engaging way, as it can be done over and over again.

Emirates' repeatable SEP training on MIRA is designed to deliver tremendous benefits for crew, training team and passenger experience. The airline plans to enhance its existing platform and expand it for a more holistic, end-to-end training experience for its employees.

In 2023, Emirates Group launched MIRA, a futuristic, three-dimensional digital platform, a first in the aviation industry. The platform is transforming Emirates Group's employee experiences, especially for cabin crew and new joiners. MIRA features 3D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulated experiences and more.