LATAM Cargo embraces VR for warehouse staff training

LATAM Cargo has begun using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to train warehouse personnel at its Miami Airport facility.

The airline said that the VR technology enables its teams to “practice, manage, and respond to real-time scenarios within a controlled digital environment”.

In its initial phase, the VR training programme will be used by approximately 550 staff members, including 250 forklift operators.

“Unlike conventional training methods, the immersive platform captures precise behavioural metrics, including contingency response times as well as the immediate identification and mitigation of hazards,” the airline explained.

The simulators feature scenarios across six distinct warehouse pedestrian zones and three specialised modules for forklift drivers.

“During training, personnel navigate high-risk procedures such as dangerous goods segregation, cargo handling, pedestrian traffic flow, and machinery separation protocol, boosting their overall situational awareness,” the carrier explained.

There was an initial rollout of the technology at the Fast Air warehouse in Santiago before the Miami addition, which is described as a “major scale-up, adding broader operational scenarios”.

The company is currently assessing the expansion of this VR training system to other strategic hubs across its network, including Brazil.

LATAM Cargo chief operating officer Daniel Leng said: “Integrating Virtual Reality at our Miami hub marks a key step in our operational safety strategy. By placing our teams in critical operational scenarios within an exact replica of their daily work environment, we significantly close the gap between classroom theory and ramp practice.”