Colorful Cabins Give New Meaning to Traveling Light
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APEX Insight: Mood lighting has revolutionized the appearance of cabin interiors, but we look at the more nuanced optical illusions that are amplifying ambience.
Boarding Hues
Lighting company Schott suggests passengers could take boarding cues from hues. “Colors are independent from language or cultural background,” says Klaus Portmanns, director of Sales, Aviation. “By color-coding cabin areas with LED lighting and matching the color to the ticket, airlines may simplify and enhance the process for their passengers.”
Lighting up Sales
“Airlines are constantly looking for more and more ways that they can improve their revenues, and we believe lighting is a considerably important factor that can positively influence the retail environment,”says Nigel Duncan, chief executive officer of STG Aerospace. The company is conducting extensive research in this field.
“We believe lighting is a considerably important factor that can positively influence the retail environment.” €” Nigel Duncan, STG Aerospace
Disguising Neon
While a safety necessity, emergency floor path markings can disrupt a finely tuned cabin ambience when not needed. STG Aerospace’s carpet-pattern matching option for its photoluminescent saf-Tglo system enables the track lighting to blend seamlessly until illuminated. Cabin aesthetics are maintained, without reducing safety.
Accentuating Embellishments
Flexible light strips allow airlines to accentuate cabin details, but on Recaro’s award-winning CL6710 business seat mock-up, even passengers can get in on the action. Lighting strips integrated as trim can be adjusted by passengers to different tints, so that those who prefer to color within the lining can show their true colors.
Enlightening Feelings
In 2014, British Airways experimented with a “happiness blanket” – a tech-enhanced comforter that measured and displayed a passenger’s mood in red and blue via woven fiber optics. Although the blankets didn’t take off, the airline collected illuminating data on how flyers responded to flight stages, and how services could be enhanced.
Painting With Light
When the lights are out, Finnair’s A350 XWB cabin is almost colorless and neutral. But the Nordic airline coats its cabin with warm mood lighting, transforming the interior with the flick of an LED switch. According to the airline’s CCO, Juha Järvinen, by letting the light spectrum do the dazzling, the cabin can “reflect the simplicity of northern design.”
Projecting Scenarios
Diehl’s Dandelion projection system can be used to project images, information and even movies within the cabin. According to Diehl, depending on an airline’s business model, displays could be used in different ways. For example, a low-cost carrier may be interested in projecting advertisements, while legacy carriers may opt for subtle mood lighting.
This story was originally published as “Tricks of Light” in the June/July issue of APEX Experience magazine.