Ultra-high technology including innovative and customisable cabin lighting inspired by the colours of the Australian landscape will feature on Qantas’ upcoming Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul flights to help minimise jetlag and improve customer wellbeing.
The design is a result of more than 150 hours of testing in the Airbus Customer Definition Centre in Hamburg where representatives from Qantas, Airbus, the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and Caon Design Office created and tested hundreds of lighting patterns and sequences in an Airbus A350 cabin mockup.
Qantas and the Charles Perkins Centre last year released preliminary findings on how to potentially reduce the impacts of jetlag by reshaping the inflight travel experience, based on world-first research conducted during test flights for the Project Sunrise program.
Based on state-of-the-art modelling of circadian rhythms, the Charles Perkins Centre advised the optimal spectral irradiances for light to promote circadian adaption, sleep, and wake.
These were implemented and tested throughout the lighting workshops in Hamburg and adjusted for eye comfort and appearance.
The lighting sequence will be tailored to help passengers adjust to their destination time zone before they set foot on the ground.
The trial has produced a series of 12 unique lighting scenarios specifically for the Project Sunrise flights.
The main cabin will also have Welcome and Farewell lighting scenes for boarding and disembarking, as well as tailored scenes for taxi, take-off and landing, and sleep, the airline said in a statement.
The Wellbeing Zone will feature soft blue-enriched light creating a daytime sky effect with slow-moving clouds during ‘the day’ to keep customers awake, and a moonlight inspired scene with reflections of water rippling to relax customers who spend time in the Wellbeing Zone while the rest of the cabin is in a dark period.
In a first for the airline, the six enclosed First Suites will offer a fully customisable lighting sequence for their environment that means customers can choose the time zone they want to be on for the duration of the flight.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the "scientifically informed" lighting design was a critical component of the preparation for Project Sunrise flights, which will connect Australia’s east coast non-stop with London and New York.
“These world-first flights have been an opportunity for us to work with experts and build on our experience of long-haul flying to rethink the inflight experience with a focus on customer wellbeing and combating the effects of jetlag,” Wallace said.
“One of the things that was clear from the research is the importance of light cycles and brightness in setting the body clock - and that was the basis of this testing.
“Combined with the design of the cabins, specialised meal planning, and the movement program, this unique lighting sequence will help improve our customers’ comfort in the air and minimise their jetlag when they arrive at their destination.”
Australian industrial designer David Caon said the lighting workshops followed more than five years of cabin design with Qantas to maximise customer wellbeing inflight.
“Aircraft lighting doesn’t cross the mind of most travellers but the external light cycle of night and day has more impact on our circadian rhythm and the impact of jetlag than any other factor,” Caon said.
Dr Sveta Postnova from the Charles Perkins Centre said: “It’s great to see circadian science being translated into practice.
“The new lighting scenarios for A350 were developed to optimise the circadian effects of light at different times during flights while accounting for the light appearance, ambience, safety, and hardware requirements on board."
