
JAL signed a five-year agreement to use Airbus’s A350 Virtual Procedure Trainer (VPT), which allows crews to practice critical flight procedures and emergency scenarios, the airliner manufacturer announced on September 10, 2024.
According to the statement, JAL is the first A350 operator to start using the VPT, which “extends its partnership for the use of the MATe suite (Mobile Airbus Training experience) for systems training and practice.” “With this integration, JAL now benefits from the full spectrum of Airbus flight training solutions, leveraging the latest training concepts and technologies to enhance training efficiency and knowledge retention,” the statement continued.
To begin with, 12 JAL pilots started using the VPT, which “provides realistic virtual environments tailored to the airline’s specific models” and “allows for training at any time and location, reducing disruptions and offering significant cost-efficiency by minimizing training expenses and aircraft downtime,” according to Airbus.
“Integrating the A350 VPT into our training curriculum will significantly elevate the quality of our flight crew training and enhance JAL’s commitment to safety. We are excited about this new chapter in our collaboration with Airbus,” said JAL’s Flight Training Vice President Hiroshi horikawa.
JAL currently operates 15 A350-900s on domestic flights and five A350-1000s on international flights. It has further 23 A350-900s and eight A350-1000s on order, the latter of which will be used to fully replace JAL’s former flagship 777-300ER fleet on a one-to-one basis. The airline also recently placed its first narrowbody order with the European airframer.