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Dave

Qantas unveils ‘Project Sunrise’ First and Business class cabins for A350s

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Qantas has unveiled prototypes of the First and Business cabins on the aircraft that will fly passengers non-stop from Australia to London and New York from late 2025.

Designed with ultra-long haul travel in mind, the flagship cabins are the first to be developed from the ground up by a mix of aviation specialists, as well as Australian industrial design studio Caon Design, and a multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre including sleep scientists.

Revealed: the Qantas fleet of specially designed Airbus A350s overcomes the ‘tyranny of distance’.

Key to the cabin design has been giving passengers more space, made possible by Qantas’ decision to configure its 12 Airbus A350s to seat 238 passengers compared to the 300-plus seat layout specified by other carriers.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the investment in new A350 aircraft and approach to cabin design continues Qantas’ 100-year history of aviation ‘firsts’.

Qantas has been the leader in opening up new long-haul flights for most of our history, and we’re bringing everything we’ve learned, both technically and in terms of passenger comfort, to Project Sunrise flying. We think our A350 cabins have the most sophisticated and thoughtful design of any airline, combining cutting edge technology with sleep research to shape the look and feel for what is effectively a new era of travel. We’re building on the customer experience of our extremely popular non-stop flights from Perth to London as we keep working to make it easier to connect Australia with the rest of the world.

The spacious First suite has a range of features to make customers feel like they are in a mini boutique hotel room complete with an extra-wide fixed bed, separate recliner chair, personal wardrobe, dining table for two and a 32” ultra-high definition TV.

First suite: fixed flat bed, separate lounge recliner and wardrobe

Every Business suite will have direct aisle access for ease of moving around the cabin, and Qantas is incorporating sliding doors into the suite for privacy, if desired.

Other Business features include a two metre flat bed, generous storage (including a large mirror), cushioned leather ottoman, 18” ultra-high definition touch screen TV, large dining table and feature lighting.

Qantas Business: next generation Business suites with sliding door for added privacy

First and Business will also offer multiple personal device charging options including wireless induction charging.

The Qantas A350 will offer fast and free high-speed Wi-Fi with partner Viasat following completion of key satellite launches covering the Qantas international network.

The aircraft will also feature Bluetooth connectivity allowing all customers to connect their own Bluetooth-enabled headset to the in-flight entertainment system.

Australian designer David Caon said every possible opportunity has been seized upon to promote wellbeing and comfort in the First and Business suites.

We began designing this aircraft cabin five years ago, working with Airbus and Qantas to maximise space, as well as creating a tailored lighting program that will influence mood and sleep patterns.

All the design and service elements will work together to significantly improve inflight comfort, convenience and health and wellbeing and help minimise the old nemesis of jetlag.

Every element has been created for Qantas, from the reading light right down to the fabrics, to ensure that passengers spend their journey in refined comfort.

There are also a number of storage design elements to keep personal items within arm’s reach so the space can be personalised by each individual passenger to feel just like they are in their own bed at home.

The Qantas A350 will have six First suites in a 1-1-1 configuration and 52 Business Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.

It will also feature a Wellbeing Zone for all passengers, which will be unveiled alongside the Premium Economy and Economy cabins in the coming months.

Kelly

Qantas to operate “Project Sunrise” research: Direct flights from London and New York to Sydney

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Qantas has announced three ultra long-haul research flights to gather new data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing.

The flights form part of planning for Project Sunrise – Qantas’ goal to operate regular, non-stop commercial flights from the east coast of Australia (Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne) to London and New York.

The three flights over three months will use new Boeing 787-9s and re-route their planned delivery flights. Instead of flying empty from Seattle to Australia, the aircraft will simulate two Project Sunrise routes – London and New York to Sydney.

Each flight will have a maximum of 40 people, including crew, in order to minimise weight and give the necessary fuel range. Carbon emissions from the flights will be fully offset.

People in the cabin – mostly Qantas employees – will be fitted with wearable technology devices and take part in specific experiences at varying stages of the approximately 19 hour flights. Scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre will monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, lighting, physical movement and inflight entertainment to assess impact on health, wellbeing and body clock.

Monash University researchers will work with pilots  to record crew melatonin levels before, during and after the flights.  Pilots will wear an EEG (electroencephalogram) device that tracks brain wave patterns and monitors alertness.  The aim is to establish data to assist in building the optimum work and rest pattern for pilots operating long haul services.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the flights will give medical experts the chance to do real-time research that will translate into health and wellbeing benefits.

Ultra-long haul flying presents a lot of common sense questions about the comfort and wellbeing of passengers and crew. These flights are going to provide invaluable data to help answer them.
Flying non-stop from the East Coast of Australia to London and New York is truly the final frontier in aviation, so we’re determined to do all the groundwork to get this right.

No airline has done this kind of dedicated research before and we’ll be using the results to help shape the cabin design, inflight service and crew roster patterns for Project Sunrise. We’ll also be looking at how we can use it to improve our existing long-haul flights.

Qantas has already conducted data on passenger sleep strategies on its direct Perth–London service, and some of these initial findings will be assessed further as part of these dedicated research flights. Customer feedback on food choices, separate stretching and wellbeing zones and entertainment options will also be tested.

Airbus and Boeing have both pitched aircraft (A350 and 777X) to Qantas that are capable of operating Project Sunrise flights with a viable commercial payload. A final decision on Project Sunrise – which depends on aircraft economics, regulatory approvals and industrial agreements – is expected by the end of December 2019.

Global Travel Management Sales Director Paul Baker commented:

This is an exciting innovation from Qantas, an airline we have been working with for many years.  We wish them all the best and look forward to being able to offer London-Sydney non-stop flights to GTM customers from the end of 2019.