How light can support more sustainable aviation?
Cleaner skies are the ambition of future aviation. Delivering them starts with rethinking what sits behind the cabin walls.
Every onboard system is under pressure to deliver more with less. Energy demand must fall. Environmental impact must shrink. All without compromising safety, performance, or the cabin experience.
New ways of thinking
A more sustainable aircraft requires a new way of thinking. Initiatives such as Aviation in Transition, point to a future where aircraft are designed like a single, intelligent machine. How an aircraft is connected must evolve just as boldly as how they are powered.
Weight reduction plays a critical role in this shift. Every kilogram removed lowers energy demand, reduces operating costs, and cuts environmental impact. This pressure is reshaping all onboard systems. From materials and wiring to connectivity and cabin experience.
At the same time, the electrical environment inside next generation aircraft is becoming more complex. With high-voltage systems and electric motors in play, clean and stable signals are essential for safety, navigation, and control.
This is where light steps in.
In-flight communication
Using solutions like Light Fidelity (Li-Fi), a wireless communication technology that uses infrared light to transmit data. Light above every seat can become a multi-purpose infrastructure.
Lighting fixHow light can support more sustainable aviation? tures can act as communication points, quietly moving data through the aircraft without adding weight or complexity. Unlike radio-based communication, light reduces the electromagnetic footprint and creates a natural network for interference-free communication. Even when invisible to the human eye, light can quietly carry information, enabling everything from crew communication to passenger entertainment.
Lighten the load
Traditional cabling – often heavy, complex, and stretching for kilometers - can no longer keep growing. Instead, parts of today’s wiring can be replaced by light-based pathways. This reduces weight and simplifies onboard systems.
Combined with energy-efficient LED lighting, this shift lowers overall energy demand and improves fuel efficiency. The payoff is clear: aircraft that can fly farther, operate more efficiently, and do so without compromising lighting quality or system performance.
No longer just a design element, lighting adds a new layer of intelligence to the aircraft. Helping it fly lighter, operate smarter, and connect more efficiently. This is the kind of innovation that aligns with Signify’s purpose: unlocking the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives, even above 30,000 feet.
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers. We proudly bring to market the world’s best lighting brands, from Signify, Philips, Philips Hue, Signify Interact, Philips Dynalite, Color Kinetics and many more. Our advanced products, connected systems and services unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. In 2025, we had sales of EUR 5.8 billion, approximately 27,000 employees, and a presence in over 70 markets. We are in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and hold the EcoVadis Platinum rating.
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