"The design process was about optimisation, pushing the constraints, and opening up the box of solutions," Alain De Zotti, chief engineer of the A350 XWB program, told Fast Company. Over 50 percent of the frame is made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, reducing the weight of the aircraft and of course the amount of fuel required for long-haul flights. Larger and wider wings, together with flaps that follow the flight path direction rather than the wind, combine to create a 25 percent improvement in the plane's fuel economy over comparable models currently in the sky, according to Airbus. One of the main innovations is a system of LED lights inside the cabin that are designed to change colour to mimic the Sun's natural glow - and they're programmed to fit in with our bodies' natural circadian rhythms no matter what the actual time is. What's more, the plane's filtering system refreshes the air inside the cabin every 2 or 3 minutes, and keeps it pressurised at the equivalent of an altitude of 1,828.8 metres (6,000 feet). More Room (Thank God) 
 
 The fuselage is wider to accommodate larger passenger seats in economy class—just an extra inch over the standard width—and easier movement down the aisles. Because the seat configuration varies from carrier to carrier and the competition for the best business and first class cabins is so fierce—"Business class is now like first class was and first class is like little apartments," De Zotti says—Airbus designed the interior to be adaptable so that carriers can swap out seats and tweak configuration much more easily than in the past. "We're trying to make the jet relevant for the future," De Zotti says. "There's an open architecture that can evolve to welcome new functions and can cope with the evolution of technology." Qatar Airways is one of the first airlines to introduce an A350 model to its fleet, but other companies have already placed further orders for the aircraft. With US$15 billion in funding and 2,600 hours of test flights behind it, the plane is expected to be in service for the next 30 years.
– If it works, it could be an air-traveling perk to trump all others: no more jet lag. Airbus is making the bold claim that it can at least reduce the malady for those aboard its new A350 XWB line of jets. The main tool is a set of LED lights within the cabin that mimics natural shifts in sunlight and theoretically keeps people's natural circadian rhythms in sync, reports Fast Company. Another factor: Because of the planes' relatively light frames, they can be pressurized to 6,000 feet, which the airline says allows for more humidity and makes the air pressure inside the aircraft closer to the pressure on the ground than is the case with most jets, per Quartz. A third factor is the jet's filtration system, which replaces the air in the cabin in its entirety every two to three minutes. The idea there is that, if nothing else, the improved air quality should help people sleep better on long flights. And the big question: Has it worked? It's a little too early to tell. The first such jet landed in the US only earlier this month via Qatar Airways, though other airlines plan to add the jet to their fleets, notes a post at Science Alert. (This protein might provide another way to fight jet lag.)