If your eyes feel dry and strained after a flight, you’re not alone. In an old survey from the ‘80s, 95 percent of participating flight attendants across 18 major airlines reported eye irritation while in the air. Low cabin humidity and high-pressure ventilation can cause many to experience dry eyes and redness. Those wearing contact lenses reported additional symptoms, including tearing, excessive blinking and blurred vision. While a significant factor of the reported eye irritation was due to widespread smoking on airplanes at the time of the survey, harsh artificial lighting was another indisputable contributor.
Things are somewhat better today in large part thanks to cleaner cabin air, but modern cabins are still much drier than most people are accustomed to, and the harsh lighting doesn’t help.
Today, many airlines are upgrading their cabin lighting, installing advanced lighting systems to counteract the eye strain air travel passengers can experience.
Can the Lighting on Long Flights Affect Passenger Health?
Yes. Even taking lighting out of the equation, the very nature of long flights can disrupt your circadian rhythm.
This natural physical, mental and behavioral process affects every person during each 24-hour cycle. It controls numerous crucial bodily functions, including sleep, appetite and body temperature. Circadian rhythms, in turn, are predominantly determined by your “biological clock”, which can be influenced by everything from food intake and stress levels to light exposure.
Removing oneself from daylight and the other cues of a typical day that help sustain a healthy circadian rhythm can have detrimental effects. Symptoms of circadian rhythm disruption can include eye strain, aggravated stress levels and disrupted sleep patterns.
And that’s when the lights are functioning optimally. Outdated bulbs that are flickering in the cabin can intensify passenger mood imbalances as well as increase risks for headaches and migraines for those who struggle with light sensitivity.
Airlines have upgraded their cabin lighting systems with LED light bulbs, but the old lighting patterns and standard cabin illumination practices can still pose problems.
Benefits of Advanced Lighting Technologies
- Preserve Circadian Rhythm: Airlines have upgraded their cabin lighting systems with LED light bulbs to reduce the negative impact of long-haul flights on passenger circadian rhythms. The right lighting strategy can mimic the natural day-night cycle in an aircraft, which can help passengers adjust to different time zones while minimizing the physical, emotional and cognitive side effects of circadian rhythm disruptions. LED lighting can also be crucial in emergencies, utilizing red lights to jolt passengers awake if the need arises.
- Create a Comfortable Environment: LED lights enable airlines to create customizable lighting solutions tailored to their passenger preferences. The technology can be strategically placed to enhance the cabin’s aesthetics, making the space seem more open and helping passengers rest better during air travel.
- Temperature Control: LED lighting’s usefulness transcends aesthetics. Unlike traditional lights, LED bulbs don’t emit heat, allowing airlines to create a comfortable and well-lit interior without worrying about raising the cabin’s temperature.
- Improve Seat Personalization: Some aircraft cabins are equipped with individual lighting controls, which allow passengers to personalize the LED lights over their seats. Passengers can dim or brighten their immediate surroundings easier than with traditional lighting, elevating comfort and helping passengers feel more in control of their surroundings during the flight.
High-Definition IFE Can Give Passengers Greater Peace of Mind
To maximize your passengers’ flying experience, airlines should pair advanced lighting systems with high-definition in-flight entertainment (IFE) technology. While LEDs can help passengers sleep better, IFE can make the hours they’re awake more entertaining. Premium IFE on the leading airlines offer thousands of movies, TV shows and games to keep passengers occupied and help the time fly by faster.
We’ve Worked Hard to Become Industry Leaders in IFE Equipment So Our Partners Can Stay Ahead of the Game
The experts at Rosen Aviation have been innovating IFE technology for nearly 50 years. We optimize aircraft with personalized IFE solutions and high-definition displays, customizing our technology solutions to individual cabins and enhancing your passengers’ well-being while traveling.
Maximize your cabin’s atmosphere and augment passenger comfort with immersive IFE technology. Call 1-888-668-4955 or send us a message today to learn more about our personalized cabin entertainment solutions.