Summary
- Air New Zealand is investing in new crew training facilities to ensure safety and realistic service on flights.
- Air New Zealand is leading the way in innovation, introducing a new 787 cabin emergency evacuation trainer to improve crew preparation.
- In preparation for the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and cabin refurbishment, Air New Zealand is placing great emphasis on crew training and safety measures.
When COVID-19 grounded planes around the world, most airlines placed their flight and cabin crew on furlough schemes that lasted much longer than expected. The end result was that crews were left running out of time and needed refresher training or recertification when travel restrictions were eased and demand soared.
Training for the future
Access to training facilities proved to be a major barrier, so it is not surprising that airlines such as Air New Zealand are taking some of these functions back into their own hands to both safeguard their operations but also ensure that new employees, as well as current flight and cabin crew, have immediate access to the best facilities available.
Photo: Air New Zealand
Led by CEO Greg Foran, Air New Zealand has developed a number of innovations during and after the pandemic. The airline is preparing for the launch of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and upgrading its existing aircraft with the new cabin layouts, so it is the perfect time to allocate additional resources to this exciting development, such as a new 787 cabin emergency evacuation trainer.
Related
Air New Zealand celebrates ten years of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Today marks ten years since Air New Zealand’s first 787-9 landed at Auckland Airport, ushering in a new era of passenger comfort.
On Friday, Air New Zealand unveiled its new 787 Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer (CEET) at its training centre in Auckland. The CEET provides the airline’s 1,600 wide-body cabin crew and 650 pilots with a realistic facility to complete safety and service training as well as annual performance tests.
Security and service realism
Speaking about the CEET, Captain David Morgan, Air New Zealand’s Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer, said the new device is designed to assist in the training of cabin crew and pilots to ensure passenger safety. He added that the CEET features “incredible technology” that simulates real-life events on board, including audio cues, visual projections and simulated smoke in the cabin.
“We can recreate thousands of scenarios on board, and the crew will be able to see, hear and in some cases feel everything that happens. They will feel as if they are in a real environment, which will prepare our crew even better for any situation.”
Photo: Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s CEET features six aircraft doors, four of which can each project 12 different scenes and locations, from an airport to a forest floor or an ocean. In addition to safety training, the unit also provides cabin crew with a realistic and working cabin environment to practice in as they familiarise themselves with the new 787 cabins.
The CEET has 52 fully functional seats in Economy, Premier Economy and Business Premier categories, including the new Business Premier Luxe. It also has a fully functional galley with oven, kettle and coffee machine, providing flight attendants with a controlled environment in which to train and experience the full in-flight service.
Photo: Toshi K | Shutterstock
Today, Air New Zealand has a fleet of 14 Boeing 787-9s with an average age of just over eight years. The company also has eight new Dreamliners on order, but deliveries will not begin until 2025 due to delays at Boeing.
Meanwhile, the national carrier is refurbishing its existing 787-9s, becoming the first airline to completely refit a Dreamliner from front to back. The 787s will be fitted with the new Business Premier cabin and the highly anticipated Skynest beds. All 1,600 cabin crew will complete a one-day familiarization course at CEET to prepare for the latest cabin layouts and products.
