Ryanair Extends VTR FlightDeckToGo B737NG Training to Five-Year Agreement After Cadet Evaluation

Ryanair signed a five-year agreement to keep using Visionary Training Resources' FlightDeckToGo virtual reality flight deck trainer for B737NG cadets, VTR said in an announcement covered by EIN Presswire. The deal follows a six-month evaluation in which 581 VR-trained cadets outscored 420 earlier cadets in eight of nine simulator core competencies.

How FlightDeckToGo Trains B737NG Cadets

FlightDeckToGo puts trainees in the first officer's seat of a fully interactive B737NG flight deck on a VR headset. Each flow runs through three patented stages: a guided "Learn" mode with instructor voiceover, text boxes and flow lines; a "Practice" mode with hints; and a "Validate" mode in which the trainee performs the flow unaided. Trainees move switches by hand and watch the aircraft respond.

Ryanair's simulator data compared the 581 cadets who trained with FlightDeckToGo against the 420 cadets trained before its introduction, across three flight training device sessions. The VR-trained group showed statistically significant improvement in eight of nine rated core competencies, led by Flight Path Management and Application of Procedures, and instructor grades shifted from good to very good. In post-training surveys, 111 cadets rated the trainer 9.2 out of 10 for immersiveness and 17 instructors rated it 8.9 out of 10 for procedural reinforcement.

"Our cadets now arrive at the simulator with a clear understanding of the flight deck layout and the sequence of each flow," said Captain Paul Kelly, Ryanair's Deputy Chief Pilot Flight Standards and Head of Training. "The simulator evaluation results gave us the confidence to make FlightDeckToGo® an established part of our cadet training programme."

VTR, headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, entered a partnership with DiSTI Corporation in August 2026 to develop a virtual reality platform for commercial pilot training, PRLog reported.

Ryanair's Fleet and Passenger Scale

Ryanair's fleet and traffic underpin the cadet pipeline the trainer serves, according to akta.pro company records. The airline carried 208.4 million passengers in FY2026, up 4% year on year, on group revenue of €15.54 billion, down 11%, and record after-tax profit of €2.26 billion, up 40%. Boeing is its sole aircraft supplier, with 172 Boeing 737 Gamechanger aircraft delivered by October 2025.

Ryanair's Recent Route and Base Moves

Ryanair launched a Manchester to Warsaw Modlin route with six weekly flights in October 2026, alongside 22 new winter routes from UK airports, The Mirror reported. The airline said it will allocate as many of its 300 planned aircraft over the next seven years to Morocco as possible, with its winter 2026 schedule adding 5.3 million seats across 156 routes, Morocco World News reported. Ryanair also announced four new summer 2027 routes to Morocco, adding three Tangier links and one Marrakech connection, Morocco World News reported.

Ryanair's November Bag Drop Change

Ryanair will close bag drop one hour before departure instead of 40 minutes from November 10, The Irish Times reported, a change aimed at giving 20% of passengers more time to clear security. Passengers who check in online are unaffected.