By swiping the touch bar up or down on the left side of the headphones, you can adjust between ANC and Transparency mode.
ANC cancels out repetitive ambient noise, for example the constant hum of an airplane. You can use the Transparency mode feature to make sure you can hear announcements at the airport or talk to the flight attendant without having to take off your headphones. The balance between Transparency and ANC lets you decide how much of your surroundings you wish to hear, and both options are available in Beoplay Portal when the microphone is NOT active.