How Airports are Using VR to be Less Wasteful

Nov. 4, 2019

Between safety-related insurance premium hikes for the first time in decades worldwide and the rising pressure to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, it's clear that the aviation industry is facing some turbulence. While buoyed in recent years by boost in consumer demand, factors – from rising fuel costs and geopolitical concerns, to impending digital disruption – will soon place pressure on the aviation industry’s path to profitable, sustainable growth. With innovation required to survive and thrive, a growing number of companies are turning to virtual and augmented reality technology to adapt to changes in the industry by transforming how their employees learn, work, and create.

Though closely related, virtual reality (VR) involves the creation of a fully immersive, digital environment, while augmented reality (AR) adds and overlays enhanced digital elements to a user’s real-world environment. For heavy industries, such as aviation, the value of both technologies lies in its ability to realistically simulate situations in a safe environment that would otherwise be costly, complex or dangerous. This makes virtual reality and augmented reality an effective tool for training, offering employees a more engaging experience and the opportunity to “learn by doing.”

Particularly in airports, where operations are often complex and high-risk, virtual and augmented reality training can prove a powerful tool in managing different types of scenarios that may have otherwise been too dangerous or unnecessarily wasteful. For instance, airport manager, developer and investor Vantage Airport Group has found success in applying VR and AR training to airside operations, where employees work in close proximity to aircraft and in the most hazardous area of the airport.

While training for airside operations has traditionally been expensive and time-consuming, a simulator was designed to not only train employees in driving airside, but also to allow them to safely experience hazards. Users in this immersive VR simulation can experience the repercussions of driving too close to an aircraft’s jet blast without any risk of actual injury or property damage. The realistic experience of this dangerous scenario has shown an effective way to discourage risky behavior on the part of employees, and in the long-term, to prevent harm to employees and passengers as well as potential lost revenue and expensive repairs. 

As a result, the use of virtual and augmented reality for training in aviation can increase the effectiveness of the process, while significantly reducing costs in comparison with traditional means. In Vantage’s case, the airport company is anticipating reduced annual training costs, and millions of dollars mitigated in potential accident risk and lost revenue. After implementing private beta training at its airport in Naussau, The Bahamas, the application is set to be rolled out over time to other airports within Vantage’s global network. Vantage is also exploring how to add further features to the simulation focused on other areas of air safety and ground crew training.

Early adopters, like Vantage, are seeing the value of virtual and augmented reality in training staff and managing operations with increased accuracy, safety and efficiency. Yet, as VR and AR technologies come of age, an increasing number of aviation companies are looking at the technology to transform operations, collect valuable data and improve productivity over time.

Beyond employee experience, training through virtual and augmented reality often translates into tangible results for businesses, including:

  • Increased retention: VR and AR training promotes active learning, engages an employee’s senses – sense, sound and touch – into the training process, and results in markedly improved rates of retention. In a study conducted by the University of Maryland, median retention rates for VR learning reached over 90 percent, compared to a 78% retention rate for traditional computer-based training. In effect, this means that employees trained using virtual and augmented reality methods emerge from the process ready to work with greater engagement and a higher skill level.
  • Improved safety: Virtual and augmented reality training offers employees a safe environment to practice their skills before stepping into a new role, reducing the risk of harmful accidents once on-the-job. It can also be used to allow workers to experience high-risk, emergency situations with realism and sensory detail, enabling them to respond quickly and capably if confronted with these scenarios in real life.
  • Reduced waste and lower costs: Not only do fewer accidents mean less expenses, but virtual reality and augmented reality training can also be a cost-effective solution as compared to traditional means. Learning in a simulated environment eliminates the need for physical training and equipment – which means less operational downtime, fewer materials wasted in training, and more time freed up for senior staff who would typically lead training.

With the virtual and augmented reality market in aviation projected to grow from USD 78 million in 2019 to USD 1,372 million by 2025, virtual and augmented reality training is a transformation set soon to take off, to the benefit of businesses and workers.

Lou Pushelberg is CEO and co-founder of Circuit Stream, the leading education and training provider for virtual and augmented reality. Established in 2015, the company has trained over 25,000 designers, developers and engineers through workshops, team training and its XR Development with Unity course. Among its portfolio of clients include Lockheed Martin, the US Navy, VMWare, GE, Raytheon, INVISTA, Hershey's, and Boeing.