Emirates Appoints Cubic Global Defense to develop first ever virtual

Emirates has appointed Cubic Global Defense to develop a virtual, game-based training programme for its cabin crew. This will be the first time in the aviation industry a commercial airline will use in-depth game-based instruction with an integrated training approach.

The programme, currently in development, will complement the airline’s existing world-class training facilities at the Emirates Aviation College – Crew Training in Dubai. Using a combination of virtual learning content and gamification both online and in classrooms, the new curriculum will allow Emirates’ cabin crew to learn and practice the skills required to ensure the highest levels of safety and service on board. It will facilitate a more immersive learning experience which has been proven to increase knowledge retention by 65%.

The science-based learning approach can be customized to support several training modules, increasing operational efficiency at the training college. With the new system, Emirates can better cater to its expanding crew population while maintaining the quality and effectiveness of its training. Aircraft familiarization is among the new content being developed, allowing cabin crew to fully immerse themselves in a virtual walk-through of both the interior and exterior of the aircraft.

Catherine Baird, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Cabin Crew Training explains: “We constantly revise our training curriculum to use innovative and cutting-edge learning tools. This is our biggest investment in crew training since we introduced our full-motion, high-fidelity aircraft simulators. As the airline expands, our main goal is being able to cater to our growing crew numbers without compromising our world-class training programme. This new technology will engage our crew and complement their learning, giving them all the skills necessary to deliver our signature service and keeping safety at the heart of our operation.”


The growth of Emirates’ cabin crew team has been steadily increasing in line with the arrival of new aircraft and new routes being added to the network. With 16 more aircraft deliveries expected by March 2016, Emirates is hiring over 5,000 new cabin crew this year alone. Today, Emirates has over 20,000 cabin crew from over 135 nationalities that speak more than 60 languages.