Malaysia Airlines turns in-flight safety video into star studded musical

Who says in-flight safety videos have to be boring? Malaysia Airlines (MAB) is putting a Malaysian musical twist to its new in-flight safety video titled “Satu, Dua, Tiga, Jom!” by mixing Malaysian arts, culture and music with aviation safety. The in-flight video begins with a backdrop of harmonic tunes as its cabin crew and Malaysian performance artists, draped in Malaysia’s traditional baju kebaya, welcome passengers to watch a safety demonstration video.

They then proceed to demonstrate eight easy-to-follow steps on the safety do’s and don’ts in a musical narration by Malaysia’s prominent figures and characters, comprising Olympic gymnasts, rock bands and the Harimau Malaya football club. Malaysian Airlines decided to take a different approach to its in-flight video, engaging its passengers with a refreshing musical instead of usual safety videos with serious tones. 

The video was directed by producer and founder of The Enfiniti Creative Universe, Tiara Jacqueline, and co-directed by actor and director Yusry Abdul Halim. The video features cameos comprising Dr. Mazlan Othman, Malaysia’s first astrophysicist; Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, artistic gymnast; Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, founder of MERCY Malaysia; and Francisca Luhong, Miss Universe Malaysia 2020  among others. The new concept is in line with the new way of work and consumer travel and aims to highlight Malaysia's diversity while emphasising the importance of on-board safety. The video will be shown on planes beginning August this year. 

Lau Yin May, MAB's group chief marketing and customer experience officer, explained that the new in-flight safety video is all part of MAB's efforts to enhance the in-flight experience for passengers to make their journey with the airline that more memorable.

"As the national carrier, we have always strived to support our national heroes and brands through our extensive partnership in the fields of sports, CSR initiatives, performing arts, local businesses, and many more, because we share the collective responsibility of serving our nation and our flag with pride every day," she said. Jacqueline said that they were filming through three intensive days and nights with a team of 150 performers, technical crew as well as Yusry Halim, with the MAB team, all whilst observing the Ramadan fast.

MAB is not the only airline to have put a different spin to its in-flight safety video. In 2017, Singapore Airlines, for example, rolled out a video that takes viewers on a panoramic journey across various locations in Singapore, beyond the traditional space of an aircraft cabin. The film showcases the Singapore Girl travelling to familiar landmarks in Singapore such as Boat Quay, The Intan Peranakan Home Museum, Henderson Waves and Gardens by the Bay. At each location, she meets various characters engaged in different activities that "creatively demonstrate" the safety instructions.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand released its new in-flight safety video in May featuring the story of Tiaki, a young man who boards a flying canoe and sets off on an adventure across Aotearoa. With the help of Air New Zealand and Julie (a character that embodies the rest of New Zealand), he visits four Māori guardians including Papatūānuku (the land), Tangaroa (sea), Tāne Mahuta (forest) and Ranginui (sky). Along the way, he seeks advice from these guardians on how better to look after them.

The airline worked closely with the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute to design the waka and its carvings. From there it was taken to the various filming locations and flown on wires to create real shadows and textures for post-production. In 2014, the airline celebrated the third and final film in The Hobbit Trilogy - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies with The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made starring Elijah Wood and Peter Jackson.

Separately, British Airways also infused humour into its safety video in 2017, partnering with Comic Relief and celebrities such as Ian McKellen, Rowan Atkinson, Gordon Ramsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, among others.

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