8 of the funniest, most imaginative in-flight safety videos – which airline has the best one?

Be honest: how many times have you paid attention to the in-flight safety demonstration, now a pre-recorded video, before take-off? Chances are, after a certain number of flights, the answer is: not that many.

The safety notifications may be dull, but they are important, and airlines are well aware most of us chat, read or sleep through them. Because of this, several are producing more captivating videos. Here are some of our selections of the most intriguing creations.

Air New Zealand

Delta may have been first out of the gate but no one does air safety demos better than Air New Zealand. The singular Kiwi sense of humour has shone through all the carrier’s videos since they started getting creative, racking up millions of views online. From its all-body paint demo, to the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit-inspired clips (featuring director Peter Jackson), ANZ has done more to illustrate the destination than any travel guide could. Currently, the airline is tipping its hat to the rugby-mad nation with its Air All Blacks boardroom demo, starring coach Steven Hansen, players Kieran Read, George Gregan and actor Rick Hoffman, loaded with rugby jokes and Kiwi pride. Kia ora, indeed.

Korean Air

Korean Air is riding the second Korean Wave with a safety demo woven into massively popular K-pop boy band SuperM’s Let’s Go Everywhere. The video is one part boy band choreography and glamour boy glitz, and one part sci-fi CGI, and when the boys aren’t crooning they’re bucking their seat belts, blowing into inflation tubes and watching all smoking products and devices get lasered out of existence. It’s playful and slick, and shows the high-value export that is Korean popular culture. For good measure, singer BoA – one of South Korea’s first international crossover pop stars – lends her voice to the narration, warning us that our tray tables must be stowed for take-off and landing.

British Airways

In 2017, the “world’s favourite airline” made consumers forget about its stunning 1989 television spot – the one with the human happy face – by focusing on creating a cheeky, informative and entirely, well, British safety video. Produced in collaboration with the charity Comic Relief, comedian Asim Chaudhry fronts a stark white background as the director auditioning Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ian McKellen, Thandie Newton and Star Wars stalwart Warwick Davis among others for parts in the demo. Plus, the spot gets in a plug for dropping spare change into a Flying Start donation envelope. It’s another flawless production highlighting safety procedures, branding and showing who Britons are. Former The X-Files star Gillian Anderson shines as the too-serious actor that needs to “chill out”.

All Nippon Airways