Friday, July 19, 2024 Qantas is set to introduce a groundbreaking cabin lighting system on its Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul flights, designed to enhance passenger wellbeing and reduce jetlag. Inspired by the hues of the Australian landscape and backed by scientific research, this cutting-edge lighting aims to transform the inflight experience. The lighting system’s development involved over 150 hours of testing at the Airbus Customer Definition Centre in Hamburg.
Collaborators from Qantas, Airbus, the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, and Caon Design Office meticulously crafted and trialed numerous lighting patterns and sequences using an Airbus A350 cabin mockup. Last year, Qantas and the Charles Perkins Centre unveiled preliminary research on mitigating jetlag through innovative inflight experiences. This research, conducted during Project Sunrise test flights, focused on optimizing circadian rhythms to enhance passenger comfort.
The Charles Perkins Centre provided expert advice on ideal light spectra to support circadian adaptation, sleep, and wakefulness. These recommendations were incorporated into the Hamburg testing process, fine-tuned for visual comfort and effectiveness. The lighting sequences on Project Sunrise flights will be tailored to align with passengers’ destination time zones, aiming to adjust their internal clocks before landing.
The trial has led to the creation of 12 distinct lighting scenes, including: Additional lighting scenes wil.