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Air New Zealand has revealed its new 787 Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer, which will allow crews to learn in a plane-accurate environment.
The device, which will see use by more than 2,250 crew members for training and assessment over the next 12 months, includes 52 fully-functioning seats across Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Premier classes.
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Four of its six doors can project 12 different environmental scenes, including an airport, a forest floor, and the ocean, while the interior replicates the layout of the airline’s new 787 cabins to be introduced over the next few years.
It will be used for both safety and service training and comes with a fully-equipped galley including an oven, water boiler, and coffee machine.
“This new device has incredible technology behind it, providing industry-leading training by simulating a real-life environment with visual projections, audio cues, and even simulated smoke in the cabin,” said Air New Zealand’s chief operational integrity and safety officer, Captain David Morgan.
“We can mimic thousands of scenarios onboard, and crew will be able to see, hear, and, in some cases, feel everything happening. They will feel like they are in a real environment, which will further equip our crew to be prepared for any situation.”
Air New Zealand employs around 1,600 wide-body cabin crew, all of whom will complete a one-day training course in the device on the new cabin layout, while all new wide-body cabin staff will use the device for a five-week training course.
“The great thing about this device is it’s a hybrid safety and service trainer, so our cabin crew can train and experience the full inflight service in a controlled environment,” said Morgan.
“That includes everything from the operation of galleys to practising plating our culinary offerings in our Business Premier cabin.”
Air New Zealand is awaiting an order of eight new Dreamliners with the new Skynest sleeping pods. CEO Greg Foran in February confirmed that the new 787-9s, which will add to the carrier’s current fleet of 14 Dreamliners and feature the Skynests, are not likely to arrive until next year.
“Boeing has now confirmed that the first of the new 787 Dreamliners is unlikely to arrive until at least mid-2025, which will delay delivery of our innovative new Skynest. The interior retrofit of our current 787 fleet remains on track,” he said at the time.
“To mitigate these challenges, we introduced a dry lease 777-300ER in November. A second dry lease 777-300ER will enter the fleet mid-year and we are well advanced on negotiations for a third.”
Skynest was intended to launch in September this year on flights from Auckland to Chicago. Available for NZ$400-$600, the bunk bed-style pods, located between the economy and premium economy cabins, will be limited to one session per passenger, though families on the same ticket will be able to book separate sessions for each person pending availability.
