Hawaiian Airlines’ pilots will be able to train in a simulator for the company’s new A321neo aircraft without leaving the island.

The state’s largest carrier unveiled Friday a new Airbus A321neo Full Flight Simulator (FFS) at its corporate headquarters flight training facility. The simulator will allow Hawaiian to continue its Advanced Qualification Program for pilots as the airline prepares to introduce 18 A321neo aircraft to its fleet starting early next year.

Prior to housing its own simulator, Hawaiian used third-party facilities in Florida at significant expense to the company. The FFS features 3-D realistic detailing of different major airport scenes and environments including clouds, fog, storms, rain, snow, thunder, buildings roads, bridges, trees and cityscapes.

In 2013 Hawaiian became the first Hawaii-based carrier to have an on-site FFS when it brought in an A330 simulator.

“We are excited to invest in our in-house training facility by providing our pilots convenient access to another state-of-the-art simulator, which will also lead to significant cost savings,” Hawaiian Chief Operating Officer Jon Snook said.

The long-range, single-aisle A321neos will be used for flying between Hawaii and the West Coast. The A321neo will seat 189 passengers in a two-class configuration and have an operating range of 4,200 miles.

Hawaiian, which employs more than 600 pilots, said it anticipates hiring nearly 200 new pilots with the addition of the A321neo fleet. The airline will take delivery of the 18 A321neo aircraft between the fourth quarter of this year and 2020, with the first flights scheduled to begin in January.

Training of pilots and instructors associated with the multimillion-dollar FFS starts next month.