FIJI Airways has launched BRAVE VR – the first immersive virtual reality leadership program of its kind in Fiji and a world first in using immersive storytelling to develop leadership capability and drive lasting behaviour change in aviation.
BRAVE stands for Boldness, Resilience, Authenticity, Vulnerability and Empathy; five dimensions identified as critical to leadership excellence at Fiji Airways. The initiative places the national airline at the forefront of leadership innovation in the Pacific and sets a new benchmark for developing strong, people-focused leaders in a modern, world-class airline.
Unlike traditional classroom or slide-based formats, immersive VR places participants inside richly designed virtual environments that engage the senses, elicit genuine emotional responses, and activate the brain in ways conventional learning cannot. Studies suggest that people retain significantly more of what they learn through immersive experience, making VR one of the most powerful and time-efficient learning tools available.
BRAVE VR is built on a simple but profound insight: real behaviour change begins with an emotional experience. The program places leaders inside immersive virtual worlds designed to evoke authentic emotional responses and then teaches the neuroscience behind those responses. By understanding why they feel what they feel, and how those feelings drive their decisions and behaviours, leaders develop the self-awareness and emotional intelligence required to lead with greater impact, especially under pressure.
Each module is followed by structured reflection and guided debrief sessions designed to translate the experience into lasting leadership growth.
Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Paul Scurrah said the program reflects the airline's commitment to its people and its culture.
"As Fiji's national airline, we carry a responsibility not only to our guests but also to our people; both in the present and as we prepare them for the future. BRAVE VR reflects our commitment to building confident, resilient and people-focused leaders who can thrive in high-pressure environments while continuing to lead with care, empathy and authenticity.
“At Fiji Airways, our people are at the heart of everything we do, and it is this that drives our ambition to be the world’s happiest airline. Investing in leadership development is essential to maintaining the strong culture, trust and a sense of belonging that define who we are as an airline; our Fiji Airways Vuvale.”
Fiji Airways Chief People Officer Anna Morris said the program bridges the gap between knowing and doing.
"True leadership is formed in moments of pressure, responsibility and care for people. BRAVE VR places our leaders in realistic scenarios that challenge decision-making, emotional control and communication, helping build the confidence and judgement needed to lead effectively. This is about developing leaders who meet the highest global standards while remaining distinctly Pacific in who they are and how they lead."
BRAVE VR Founder and CEO Emma Hall said the program addresses the most common leadership challenge facing organisations today.
“Most organisations don’t have a knowledge problem. They have an action problem. Leaders know what good leadership looks like. The gap is in actually doing it, especially under pressure. BRAVE VR was built to bridge that gap. By immersing Fiji Airways leaders in experiences that trigger real emotional responses and then teaching the neuroscience behind those responses, we’re not adding to what people know, we’re changing how they behave. Fiji Airways is leading that from the Pacific."
BRAVE VR is already trusted by leading global institutions, including KPMG, Air New Zealand and Anglo America, to strengthen leadership capability and decision-making in high-pressure environments. Fiji Airways’ adoption of immersive leadership training reflects its confidence, capability and ambition to continue leading from the Pacific on the global stage.
Source: Fiji Airways