TheDesignAir –Qantas hints at its future ‘lighter’ interior palette with launch of refreshed A330 cabins

Qantas has just taken the wraps off a new, light-filled Business Class and Economy Class cabin for its A330 fleet, providing an enticing preview of the upcoming ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise experience. These updates mark a significant step in Qantas’ design evolution—lighter, brighter, and inspired by the comforts of home, bringing an inviting, residential feel that elevates the carrier’s design language to a new level.

The airline’s multimillion-dollar refurbishment program will roll out across 10 Airbus A330-200s, set to transform Qantas’ international service to destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. The updates introduce a fresh aesthetic and next-generation amenities that blend form and function, all pointing to the visionary Project Sunrise experience soon to debut.

Comfort-Driven Design Meets Next-Gen Technology

At the heart of the cabin redesign are newly unveiled Economy seats, purpose-built for long-haul comfort with Project Sunrise in mind. Alongside enhanced comfort, these seats feature sleek 13.3-inch 4K OLED screens—20 percent larger than the existing displays—offering a modern entertainment experience with crisp resolution and an intuitive user interface.

The cabin’s tech upgrades don’t stop there; each seat is equipped with USB-C fast charging and Bluetooth audio, allowing travellers to connect personal headphones with ease.

Warm, Mood-Enhancing Lighting and Refined Finishes

Adding to the atmosphere, Qantas has integrated custom mood lighting designed to enhance the sense of space and comfort throughout the journey, with colours that adjust based on the phase of flight. Fresh carpets and curtains complete the transformation, bringing cohesive, warm accents throughout the cabin.

In Business, the current fully-flat suites—already highly regarded across the Qantas A380 and 787 Dreamliner fleets—will remain, preserving the airline’s high standard for business-class comfort, but the seats now offer a lighter, brighter interior with light wooden veneers and updated seat shell colours in comparison to the existing cabin design which you can see in our YouTube review below.

A Glimpse into Project Sunrise

The A330 refurbishment program is set to begin in mid-2025, with the first aircraft expected to be back in service by the year’s end and the entire fleet refresh concluding by late 2026. This investment represents more than just a design update; it’s a glimpse of what’s to come as Qantas progresses toward launching its highly anticipated Project Sunrise fleet of A350-1000ULR aircraft, crafted for nonstop flights to New York and London.

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace expressed enthusiasm for the program, noting, “We’ve used our fleet renewal program to completely rethink the inflight experience, and these cabin upgrades mean we can bring next-generation features and designs to our existing aircraft.” These new seats, with their emphasis on comfort and modern amenities, will give Economy passengers a taste of the Project Sunrise experience—taking the carrier’s iconic service further.

Qantas’ fleet renewal plan, finalised last year, includes a sweeping replacement of the A330s with a mix of Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, set to arrive gradually from FY27 onward. As Qantas’ journey into Project Sunrise unfolds, the redesigned A330 cabins serve as a tangible preview of the airline’s future vision: light, bright, and beautifully designed for a new era of ultra-long-haul travel.

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