Qantas Airlines has developed cabin lighting designed to combat jet lag.
Inspired by Australian landscapes, this unique and customizable cabin lighting will be introduced on direct flights connecting the East Coast of Australia with London and New York, as part of the “Project Sunrise” initiative.
In tests conducted in 2023 by Qantas Airlines and the Charles Perkins Center, preliminary research showed that redesigning the inflight experience could potentially mitigate the effects of jet lag.
Hundreds of lighting patterns were created in the Airbus Customer Definition Center in Hamburg, Germany, using a mockup of the Airbus A350 cabin, conducting over 150 hours of testing.
The Charles Perkins Center advised on and tested the optimal spectral irradiance for light to promote circadian rhythm adjustment, sleep, and wakefulness, based on cutting-edge circadian rhythm modeling. The lighting is adjusted to adapt to the destination’s time zone, creating 12 lighting scenes.
Economy class features lighting for boarding and disembarking, as well as scenes tailored for ground movement, take-off and landing, and sleep. The Wellbeing Zone features a soft blue light, while First Suites allow passengers to choose their preferred time zone.
