Qantas has detailed requests from passengers as part of its research into its plan to launch ultra-long-haul flights to Europe and the United States in 2022, dubbed 'Project Sunrise'.
The research, done in conjunction with the Sydney University's Charles Perkins Centre, found that health and wellness were the consistent trend from its research, with a focus on mindfulness and a "separation of experience" during different stages of a long-haul flight.
The top five suggestions made by passengers include providing a "sense of separation" experiences, space to conduct exercises, wireless noise cancelling headsets, innovative cabin designs on the aircraft with a focus on traveler needs, as well as an in-flight cafe.
Qantas will use the research results and ongoing customer feedback to create features for the new cabin, as well as future lounge features that incorporate health and wellness initiatives.
Qantas adds that several initiatives have been implemented, such as offering stretch classes at its Perth transit lounge, outdoor spaces at its Perth terminal and transit lounge, as well as developing an in-flight menu to aid sleep and wakefulness while re-timing service.
"Our job now is to determine where the most demand is and create this cabin in a way that makes it both affordable for customers and commercially viable for the airline. Everything is on the table and we are excited about what innovations may come from this research," says Qantas International's chief executive Alison Webster.
As part of the 'Project Sunrise' plans, Qantas plans to acquire an aircraft capable of flying non-stop from the Australian east coast to New York and London.
An announcement on 'Project Sunrise' is set to be made later this year, including the selection of aircraft. Both Airbus and Boeing were tasked in offering a version of the Airbus A350 or Boeing 777X capable of making the 20h flight.
Webster was quoted in a June 2018 FlightGlobal report as saying that Qantas is looking at an aircraft configuration capable of carrying "over 300 passenger seat count," and options being studied include a four-cabin configuration design.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
