Alaska Air Group (ALK) said Friday it has invested in Loft Dynamics to support development of the first hyper-realistic and full-motion Boeing (BA) 737 virtual reality simulator.

Terms of the investment, made through the company's venture capital arm, Alaska Star Ventures, were not disclosed

Once developed, built and approved, the simulators will be installed at individual Alaska Air bases for pilot training, the airline said. The eventual simulator will be submitted for Federal Aviation Administration approval, "likely in the next few years," the airline said.

In the interim, Alaska Air and Loft intend to explore pilot training improvement opportunities that would supplement current training required by the FAA, the airline company said.