Easyjet just turned 20 and to celebrate the occasion, the company unveiled its new uniform update. Unlike other airlines that simply grow with the fashion trend, this company has made a huge leap beyond fashion and landed right in wearable technology.
The new uniforms will include microelectronic flare made in collaboration with the Shoreditch-based fashion house Cute Circuit, the company best known for wowing the world with an iPhone connected LED dress that changes colours.
Read more: How Cute Circuit brought the magic back to fashion
Flight attendant's uniforms on Easyjet flights will have LEDs on the shoulders and hems to provide additional lighting. There will be an LED based scrolling ticker on the lapel jacket that displays information like flight numbers and destinations. Each uniform will also have a built-in microphone for direct communication amongst crewmembers.
The uniforms are made with a few hundred lighting elements that are powered by small USB rechargeable batteries. So, in addition to prepping the plane for liftoff, cabin crew had better make sure their uniforms are charged up.
Read this: How wearable tech can work with our bodies and emotions
On the ground, flight engineers will have air quality sensors and barometers to supply important information about the environment in different cities for passengers. Their hooded jackets will also have light-up arm and chest panels, as well as built-in cameras for remote diagnosis.
Cute Circuit CEO Ryan Genz notes that the uniforms for the cabin crew have smaller "brains" and use up less energy than the engineer gear since they need to be lighter and more flexible for in-flight activities.
The engineer jackets have larger hubs, and also feature more robust tech since the wearer is more likely to need higher tech features, like "task lighting" which increases the level of lighting while in dark areas.
Easyjet plans to roll out a trial run of the new wearable tech uniforms in early 2016 so keep an eye out for Cute Circuit's illuminated uniforms on a budget flight next year.
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