Ms. Payal Gupta, Co-founder and Director – Business Development of Tecknotrove Systems, was featured on Aviation Update Magazine (August 2026 issue), discussing why simulation-based training is becoming the industry standard for airside aviation operations rather than a nice-to-have. As airports and airlines face constant pressure to improve turnaround times without compromising safety, Ms. Payal Gupta explains why the traditional “learn on the live apron” approach to ground handling training is increasingly risky and costly.
Rather than exposing undertrained personnel to high-stakes equipment under time pressure, Tecknotrove’s hardware-accurate GSE simulators, including the Aircraft Pushback Simulator and Cargo Loader Simulator, recreate real apron layouts, aircraft movement, and traffic conditions across narrow-body and wide-body configurations. The pushback simulator alone trains up to five operators in a single scene, allowing ground crews to practice real-time coordination and emergency scenarios before they ever step onto the ramp. Tecknotrove’s broader suite of aviation training solutions also includes VR-based aircraft inspection modules for line maintenance teams and full-scale learning and development centres built to ICAO standards.
Ms. Payal Gupta also shares her outlook on where the next five years of aviation training are headed, pointing to AI and Digital Twins as the biggest drivers of impact as VR-based training matures. She notes that combining Digital Twins with simulation lets engineering, maintenance, and planning teams train from one synchronized model that evolves with the aircraft itself, while AI personalizes training paths, flags weak areas early, and automates evaluation and debriefing.
“The future of aviation training requires elevating ground handling from a secondary budget item to core infrastructure, closing the dangerous gap between heavy flight-deck investment and high-risk airside operations.”
