Could 'widebody' passenger planes end jet lag? Researchers say low pressure cabins on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 could stop symptoms
- Boeing and Airbus have designed two planes that will stop jet lag symptoms
- Cabins are pressurized at 6,000ft, as jet lag kicks in at 6,500ft
- When cabin altitude is lowered it causes more pressure on the outside
- But firms made planes with plastic to withstand the extra pressure
Jet lag starts to creep up on travelers once the plane hits altitudes above 6,500 feet.
However, two new wide-body airplanes, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350, may have cracked the code to stopping this phenomenon.
These commercial airliners are designed with plastics in the airframe, allowing the cabin to stay pressurized at 6,000 feet - no matter how high the plane flies.
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Jet lag begins to creep up on travelers once the plane hits altitudes of 6,500 feet. However, two new wide-body airplanes, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (pictured) and the Airbus A350, may finally put an end to this phenomenon
‘Some unacclimatized persons who travel to terrestrial altitudes above 6500 ft experience acute mountain sickness, a self-limited syndrome characterized by symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, lassitude, and sleep disturbance,’ reports a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Although jet lag symptoms start to appear at 6,500 feet, commercial aircraft fly about 38,000 feet in the air and at this altitude, the cabin is pressurized at 8,000 feet.
When humans are flying at an ‘internal altitude’ of 8,000 feet, their heart and lungs have to work overtime to supply oxygen to organs, which results in feelings of fatigue and shortness of breath, reports George Hobica with Airfarwatchdog.com.
However, Boeing and Airbus have cracked the code by keeping the cabin at a steady 6,000 feet inside.
The firms have even designed technology that pumps in better air with more humidity, which combats feelings of dehydration.
Boeing 787 lets crew members to control humidity levels inside of the cabin, which is based on how many passengers are on board during the flight.
The challenge on creating this type of pressure inside of the cabin was worrying about how the outside of the plane would fair.
The firms have even designed technology that pumps in better air with more humidity, which combats feelings of dehydration. Boeing 787 9pictured) lets crew members to control humidity levels inside of the cabin
According to Hobica, ‘when airplane designers further increase the interior pressure to achieve a lower and more comfortable cabin altitude, as with the 787, that puts even more stress on the plane’s structure’.
Kent Craver, regional director, cabin experience and revenue analysis, told Hobica that as time goes on the airframe would become stressed.
And although this is not a safety issue, it will cost more money for airplane manufactures.
When airplane designers further increase the interior pressure to achieve a lower and more comfortable cabin altitude, as with the 787, that puts even more stress on the plane’s structure. Both Boeing and Airbus (pictured) planes are made of plastic to withstand pressure
‘But plastic, and the way Boeing constructs its airplanes, means the airplane does not fatigue if you add pressure,’ said Carver.
The new Boeing model is also designed with higher cabin ceilings, lager bathrooms, a cutting-edge air filtration system and software specifically designed to stop gusts of wind around the outside for a smoother ride.
Many foresees all planes adopting these features and luxuries, but Hobica explains it is a few decades away from becoming a reality.
However, there are 810 firm orders for the A350 – 67 of these units were requested by Singapore Airlines.
And there are more than 1,200 orders for the 787.
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