Creativity takes to the skies

Airline safety videos are evolving into branding showcases for destinations as they feature viral dance numbers and cinematic takes

- Sarah Stanley

Since its online debut on Sept 4, Singapore Airlines' (SIA) newest in-flight safety video has racked up over 235,000 views on YouTube.

By the end of October, when it begins rolling out across the carrier's fleet, it will be viewed millions more times by passengers worldwide.

Replacing SIA's safety video from 2017, which itself is a departure from straightforward videos of the past, the 2025 edition reimagines a familiar ritual. The older video has drawn more than 3.1 million views online and delivers safety instructions through polished, cinematic visuals of local attractions such as River Wonders and Haji Lane.

Similarly, instead of a sterile cabin setting, the latest video transports viewers through Singapore's landmarks and neighbourhoods the hawker stalls of Lau Pa Sat, lush domes of Gardens by the Bay, the quaint Tiong Bahru estate and beyond.

Guiding passengers are SIA leading stewardess Angeline Yap and flight steward Ahmad Zhafir Safrudin, who narrate safety instructions alongside a lion dance troupe, traditional kolam artists and silat practitioners. Both crew members have no prior acting experience.

SIA's cinematic approach reflects a broader shift in the skies. Over the past two decades, airlines from British Airways to Air New Zealand to Qatar Airways have moved away from plain, instructional videos.

As Mr Zhafir, who has been with SIA for around nine years, puts it, the safety video is "a unique opportunity to highlight Singapore's diverse communities and landmarks", while still delivering critical instructions.

That sentiment captures an industry-wide recognition that in-flight safety videos are no longer just compliance tools. They have evolved into marketing showcases, cultural snapshots and canvases for airlines to tell stories about their brands and homes.

NEW ERA OF SAFETY VIDEOS

American carriers were pioneers of the creative in-flight safety video.