Scientists are teaming up with Qantas to find new ways to help travellers beat jet lag on its new non-stop flights to Europe, with passengers set to spend up to 21 hours in the air.
In what’s being hailed as a win for passengers, the airline is conducting extensive testing on its new Qantas A350 aircraft, built specifically to fly non-stop from Sydney to London.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Qantas tests new ways to beat jet lag
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow
Inside the test plane in Toulouse, France, passengers aren’t your typical travellers – they’re dummies made from tubes covered in sensors, designed to simulate real passengers.
“We have some dummies simulating passengers, so we can create heat and weight, of course, and we have microphones to measure the noise and the vibration,” said Airbus test pilot Thomas Wilhelm.
But it’s not just dummies being tested. Real passengers will also spend almost an entire day on board as scientists develop specialised light and meal routines designed to cut jet lag.
“Appropriately timed light of the right intensity can help either promote alertness or enable people to get to sleep,” explained Professor Peter Cistulli from the University of Sydney’s Sleep Medicine department.
Dummies designed to simulate real passengers/ Credit: 7NEWS Qantas’ new A350. Credit: 7NEWS The aircraft also features a hidden compartment in front of first class where pilots can take their breaks during the marathon flight.
“The best safety feature in any aeroplane is two well-trained, well-rested pilots in the flight deck at all times,” said Captain Andrew Marshall from the Australian and International Pilots Association.
The non-stop Sydney to London route takes up to 21 hours, while the return flight is usually quicker thanks to westerly winds. A new flight path over the North Pole will make the most of those winds and airspace restrictions.
“So we think this route will be used about 20 per cent of the time,” said Qantas Chief Technical Pilot Alex Passerini.