New Lighting System to Eliminate Jet Lag From Long Flights

The name “Afterglow” sounds a little suggestive for a lighting system that will be typically found in an ultra-long-range jet’s bedroom. But the system’s “biodynamic” technology represents a new direction and solution to jet lag in aircraft interior design.

Designed to be retrofitted on older jets, London-based JPA Design’s concept is part of the company’s overall focus on wellness. “The idea is to take off in a healthier way than you’ve ever done before,” Elliott Koehler, creative director at JPA, told Robb Report.

The system incorporates an “orb” inside a frosted glass panel integrated into the bulkhead. The orb, which slides up and down, matches the solar movements between sunrise and sunset. Afterglow is connected to the cabin’s lighting, creating optimal lighting scenarios based on the length of the flight and the arrival time at the destination. As the jet crosses time zones, Afterglow adjusts color temperature (warm to cool) and intensity (bright to dim) to the align with the body’s natural responses to daylight. It’s a body hack for long-distance flights, with the end goal being to mitigate jet lag.

“Lighting can make you hungry, calm you and even help put you to sleep,” says Koehler, noting a typical scenario would be a transatlantic flight taking off from California, with Afterglow coaxing the passengers to sleep, and as the European destination gets closer, it creates a faux sunrise. “The flight will be much more refreshing than a typical redeye.”

Private-jet manufacturers such as Gulfstream and Bombardier have developed circadian lighting for jets, and it’s also used on commercial jets. JPA has designed environmental lighting systems for Boeing and Airbus, but Koehler says Afterglow is different because it functions as a visible piece, almost like a cabin sculpture. “It’s not just another screen you’re staring at,” says Koehler. “The lighting system revolves around this piece, and it lets just one passenger, the owner, control the system.”

The company may also incorporate its new Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) light into the system. By emitting intense light, SAD technology is designed to enhance energy and alertness. At September’s London Design Festival, JPA will demonstrate its new SAD lighting, Afterglow and aromatherapy in an enclosed space with specific sounds that match the technology. “The idea is to engage as many senses as possible,” says Koehler. “It’s a much more holistic way of thinking about wellness in the air.”

So red-eyes won’t be as red anymore.