Health researchers have found ways to minimise the impact of jetlag by reshaping the inflight experience which could change the way passengers dine on planes.
Research released in New York today by Qantas and the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre shows different lighting and sleep schedules, mealtimes and specific ingredients like chilli and chocolate during long-haul flights contribute to improved traveller wellbeing.
The Charles Perkins Centre says, as expected, movement and exercise are key in helping to ward off jetlag.
The world-first research was conducted during test flights for Qantas’ Project Sunrise programme, which will connect Sydney directly with New York and London for the first time from late 2025 using specially fitted-out Airbus A350 planes.
The airline has been working with the centre since 2015, when it first began preparations to launch Perth to London non-stop flights, which it started in 2018. Qantas operated three Project Sunrise research flights from New York and London to Sydney in 2019 in partnership with Australian researchers to collect real-world passenger data.
Researchers travelled on the aircraft and monitored 23 volunteer passengers who were fitted with wearable devices during the 20-hour flights as they followed a specially designed menu, lighting, sleep and movement sequences.
The initial findings, not yet published in academic journals, are that compared to customers on a traditional inflight sequence of eating and sleeping, those on the tailored schedule experienced less severe jetlag and better-quality sleep while on planes.
They also had better cognitive performance in the two days after the flight.
The inflight trials involved tailored cabin lighting schedules to encourage adaption to the destination time zone, and incorporated simple stretch and movement activities.
They also adjusted the timing of meal services to align the body clock, and encouraged waking and sleeping by using specific menu items, including fish and chicken paired with fast-acting carbohydrates, as well as comfort foods like soups and milk-based desserts.
The aim was to promote the brain’s production of the amino acid tryptophan (”Tryp”) to help passengers drift off more easily.
The specially designed Airbus A350s include an onboard Wellbeing Zone informed by the research, where all passengers can take time out to stretch and do simple exercises onboard. Qantas says it will be the first airline in the world to offer a purpose-built zone, located between the Premium Economy and Economy cabins, which will feature sculpted wall panels and integrated stretch handles, a guided on-screen exercise programme, a hydration station and a range of refreshments.
Professor of Sleep Medicine at the University of Sydney, Peter Cistulli, said while the research was continuing, there were. clear signs the interventions implemented during the trial flights reduced the impact of ultra-long-haul travel.
“The early results are promising, and it’s given us great momentum to look to the next stage of customer research to support Project Sunrise product and service design.
“We have a multi-disciplinary team of more than 10 researchers from medicine, science and engineering backgrounds working together on this project. This includes sleep researchers, circadian experts, nutrition and movement experts. No airline has ever done this kind of research before,’’ he said.
Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said the airline was excited by the prospect of minimising jetlag and revolutionising international flying for all travellers.
“Given our geography, Qantas has a long history of using imagination and innovation to overcome the tyranny of distance between Australia and the rest of the world,” said Joyce, who arrived in New York yesterday on an inaugural non-stop flight from Auckland to the city.
“Now that we have the aircraft technology to do these [Project Sunrise] flights, we want to make sure the customer experience evolves as well, and that’s why we’re doing this research and designing our cabins and service differently.”
Qantas A350s will have about 100 fewer seats than the A350s in service with most of the airline’s competitors.
‘’People can choose how they spend their time but we’ll make recommendations based on science around menu choices and best times to eat or rest,’’ he said.
That extends to before and after the flight to improve how people feel when they arrive on the other side of the world.
“Importantly, these direct flights actually cut total travel time by more than three hours compared to one-stop services.”
Charles Perkins Centre and Qantas will take part in a first-ever combined lighting workshop at Airbus’ Hamburg headquarters later this year, where specialists will design the lighting settings for the aircraft, including assessment of the optimal brightness and colour tone settings for each part of the flight.
Parallel research has been done to manage crew wellbeing on these flights, which also draws on experience from other ultra-long-haul flights operated by Qantas.
Qantas is scheduled to take delivery of its first A350 in late 2025, with the Project Sunrise launch route between Sydney and London expected to take off shortly after.
Qantas has in New York also unveiled the entire cabin design of its A350s for Project Sunrise.
The airline showcased its luxe First and Business cabins in February and has now unveiled the rest of the aircraft interior, including a unique dedicated Wellbeing Zone, Premium Economy and Economy cabins.
Work on the cabin design began in 2019 and took tens of thousands of hours to create Qantas’ intuitive A350 cabin of the future, which will fly 238 passengers for up to 22 hours non-stop from Australia to almost any destination in the world.
The 40-seat Premium Economy cabin and the 140-seat Economy cabin revealed today will have the most generous seat pitches of any Qantas aircraft, ergonomic leg and foot rest systems and personal storage options.
Every seat across all four cabins will feature multiple fast USB-C charging ports and every premium seat will also have integrated wireless charging. The Qantas A350 fleet will connect customers more than any other with fast and free Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity will feature across all cabins so customers can connect their personal headsets to the individual inflight entertainment screen.
The aircraft will have six large enclosed First Suites designed to feel like a mini boutique hotel room with a 2m flatbed, dining table for two, separate recliner chair and a 32″ 4k ultra-high definition, touchscreen TV.
The 52 Business Suites will feature sliding doors for additional privacy, a lay-flat bed, a large dining table, bespoke lighting and an 18″ 4k ultra-high definition, touchscreen TV.
Joyce said while the Qantas A350 will have a high percentage of premium seats onboard, most customers will travel in the Premium Economy and Economy cabins so maximising comfort and wellbeing across all cabins was a priority.
“We have spent just as much time on the second half of the aircraft as we did the front, in fact we started studies on the Wellbeing Zone before any other area of the A350.”
Australian designer David Caon incorporated the wellbeing research considerations as part of the overall cabin layout and worked closely with seat manufacturers.
He said every detail has been carefully considered, from testing thousands of sample fabrics to designing an entirely new Premium Economy seat exclusive to Qantas.
The Premium Economy cabin has been redesigned from the ground up with a focus on ergonomics, entertainment and privacy.
New headrest wings are the biggest visible difference and will provide passengers with both additional support and a sense of privacy without isolating them from travel companions. An upholstered ergonomic foot- and leg-rest system allows the body to be cradled in recline to better help passengers sleep.
Economy travellers also have an OLED 13″ TV screen, foot net and convenient storage space within arms’ reach to store glasses and personal items.
The new Economy seat will have 33 inches of legroom.
Grant Bradley joined the Herald in 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.
- The Herald travelled to New York courtesy of Qantas.
The airline sold its last slots at Heathrow in 2020.