Dubai's Emirates Airline has signed an agreement with Cubic Global Defense to develop a virtual, game-based training programme for its cabin crew, a new first for the industry.

The deal will be the first time in the aviation industry a commercial airline will use in-depth game-based instruction as part of its training approach.

The programme, currently in development, use a combination of virtual learning content and gamification both online and in classrooms.

The new technology will allow new recruits to fully immerse themselves in a virtual walk-through of both the interior and exterior of the aircraft. Data has shown the approach has been proven to increase knowledge retention by 65 percent.

Catherine Baird, Emirates' Senior Vice President, Cabin Crew Training explains: "We constantly revise our training curriculum to use innovative and cutting-edge learning tools. This is our biggest investment in crew training since we introduced our full-motion, high-fidelity aircraft simulators. As the airline expands, our main goal is being able to cater to our growing crew numbers without compromising our world-class training programme. This new technology will engage our crew and complement their learning, giving them all the skills necessary to deliver our signature service and keeping safety at the heart of our operation."

With 16 more aircraft deliveries expected by March 2016, Emirates is hiring over 5,000 new cabin crew this year alone. The Dubai airline currently employs over 20,000 cabin crew from over 135 countries.