Inside Portugália Airlines' innovative training programme

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Portugália Airlines Training has been recognised as 'Leading' by IATA, the highest certification a training programme can receive. But why does the small airline continue to excel in this field?

At Aerospace Tech Week 2025, Hugo Oliveira, Portugália's Training Director, discussed their innovative approach under parent company TAP Air Portugal. Key to making their training programme effective has been the introduction of new technology, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the Metaverse. Oliveira believes this helps keep content fresh without compromising on important lessons.

There's only so much we can do with the content because it's very regulated. But we can do something about the delivery of that content.

Oliveira believes the implementation of tech has been key to maintaining staff interest during yearly training. The use of VR, he explains, sparks curiosity that makes Portugália's programmes more engaging. However, implementing these changes didn't come without resistance. Giving people choice between traditional methods and new tech has helped keep students happy.

If people don't feel eager to try it, there's no point pushing it. So we just try and make it interesting so that people want to try.

VR and AR has such promise that Oliveira believes in future costly flight simulators will be rendered obsolete. Technology has enabled a small airline like Portugálila to be more responsive and ultimately support more students at a time when the industry is in desperate need of more personnel.

I think in 10 years every pilot is going to have their own little flight simulator at home, and it's going to be as efficient for training as the big machines at a training centre.

🎥 Watch the interview to hear Hugo Oliveira's full thoughts on innovation in aviation training.

Questions asked include:

What does your immersive training policy look like in practice?
What benefits have you felt from using tech in training?
Have you encountered any challenges when implementing new technology?
What will training look like in the future?

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