Japan Airlines Adds Simulated ATC to MPL

Japan Airlines (JAL) recently adopted Advanced Simulation Technology Inc.(ASTi)'s Simulated Environment for Realistic ATC (SERA) product as part of the airline’s Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL) First Officer Program. Hosted by CAE at its Phoenix, Arizona facility, the program trains students with no prior cockpit experience to become qualified, type-rated First Officers.

During Phase 2 of the program, SERA delivered a simulated air traffic control (ATC) environment that presented students with non-routine training scenarios. These included weather diversions, go-arounds, and altitude restrictions due to traffic. This dynamic environment allows students to practice complex ATC interactions within CAE’s 737NG level D full flight simulators, eliminating the need for training in actual aircraft.

The implementation of SERA also reduces training costs by replacing in-aircraft ATC exposure with simulation. Although simulated ATC environments were identified nearly two decades ago as essential for MPL programs, JAL believes it is the first airline to integrate such a solution into daily training operations.

The first training class using SERA completed the course in approximately three months with a zero percent failure rate.