Unique and customisable cabin lighting inspired by the colours of the Australian landscape and grounded in science 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 mock-up.
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 Qantas’ 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.
“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,” said Cam Wallace, CEO, Qantas International. “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.”
The lighting sequence will be tailored to help passengers adjust to their destination time zone before they set foot on the ground.
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.
“The A350 Airspace cabin has been designed to provide passengers with the best possible flight experience,” said Joost van der Heijden, SVP & Global Head of Marketing, Airbus Commercial Aircraft. “This includes more personal space, the quietest cabin in the sky, highest air quality and full connectivity throughout. And the unique and innovative state-of-the-art LED lighting system offers over 16 million colour combinations, enabling airlines to fully customise their offerings. Qantas has taken full advantage of this unique lighting system to create science-based specific effects that will help passengers adapt to the changing times zones. This will contribute to their well-being on the world’s longest commercial flights. Together with Qantas and its partners, we are working on the definition of a cabin that will show the A350 at its best.”
