Technology award for IATA’s virtual reality training

RampVR became a reality in May after a year of development. The technology currently has two modules are available: aircraft turnaround inspections and aircraft marshalling but more to come that will be downloadable from IATA’s website.

Today International Airport Review has announced that IATA has won the Technological Solutions category of its 2017 awards programme.

IATA’s virtual reality programme replicates airport aprons and generates random errors and issues in a variety of conditions, overcoming the limitations of traditional training.

Users only need a 3m-by-3m room to play with meaning it can be used pretty much anywhere.

The IATA RampVR team with their award (left to right): Dimitrios Sanos, Product Manager, Airport and Ground Operations; Kim Kian Wee, Assistant Director, APCS Training and Innovation; Ana Ysabel Soriano, Product Specialist, Virtual Reality Training; and Frederic Leger, Director, Airport Passenger Cargo and Security Products.

 On receiving the award, Frederic Leger, IATA’s Director for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security Products, said: “Improving ramp safety and reducing damage to aircraft and ground equipment through better education and training is an industry priority, but training in this extremely active environment can be a challenge. RampVR allows users to safely immerse themselves in ramp operations and experience a variety of scenarios in different operating conditions. RampVR also provides users with built-in metrics to track their performance, and real-time access to key reference material.”

Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, added: “Talent development is essential to making our industry safe, secure, and sustainable. Innovative technology is the key. VR in the learning context increases knowledge retention by as much as four times while improving motivation and engagement. VR is here to stay and we are already considering expanding its use in different training areas.”

It also complies with the Airport Handling Manual (AHM) and IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM).

One of the comments from the judging panel was: “This is an effective innovation application of virtual reality, which simplifies training for airport staff, demonstrating some of the endless capabilities of virtual reality as a tool.”