Alaska Airlines signs agreement for Boeing's Virtual Airplane training platform

Boeing announced on Tuesday that Alaska Airlines has signed an agreement for its Virtual Airplane (VA) during the World Aviation Training Summit (WATS) in Orlando, Florida. The Virtual Airplane is a modular training solution that can be used to practice procedures anywhere through the Procedures Trainer app. Boeing states that all the practices are repeatable and realistic. The first module covers procedures for the Boeing 737 MAX, with plans to add more aircraft models in the future. It also offers a free-play Flight Management System (FMS) for authentic data entry and exploration so operators can standardize training, reduce simulator familiarization time, and accelerate pilot readiness. "Our collaboration with Boeing on Virtual Airplane has allowed us to provide our pilots with flexible, realistic training tools that complement traditional simulator sessions," said Jeff Severns, Alaska Airlines managing director of Flight Operations Training. "We look forward to fully integrating this technology into our ground school curriculum to further improve training effectiveness and pilot proficiency." RELATED STORIES: Boeing B-29 Superfortress Doc returns to EAA AirVenture 2026 Boeing releases first quarter results for 2026 Boeing 777-9 approved for Phase 4A of Type Inspection Authorization Boeing states that Alaska Airlines has been a key development partner for Virtual Airplane and has provided valuable feedback on the platform. The agreement reinforces it's commitment to delivering training solutions that meet the changing needs of the aviation industry. "Alaska Airlines' commitment to innovation and safety has been instrumental in the development of Virtual Airplane," said Chris Broom, Boeing VP of Commercial Training Solutions. "We are proud to see this partnership evolve as they move from beta testing to full adoption, leveraging Virtual Airplane to enhance pilot training and operational readiness."