Air India receives mixed reactions over its safety video

Photo Copyright Air India 2024

Go on, admit it, how many times have you really paid attention to the cabin crew's in-flight safety instructions or a video prior to departure? The crew mention the absolute imperativeness of flight safety because even though flying is safer than taking a car ride, there is a minute chance that things may suddenly go wrong, and that's where the crew truly earn their salaries.

But getting the pre-departure in-fight safety right is a challenging and tricky job. How do you project the instructions to those who don't speak English [or any local language]? The safety notifications may be boring, but they are super important, and airlines are well aware most of us chat, read or sleep through them. Because of this, several are producing more captivating videos. 

Various airlines have tried different methods to get the passengers attention, sometimes using humor for something that is very serious. Korean Air asked SuperM to help,British Airways featured Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ian McKellen, and Air New Zealand enlisted Lord of The Rings stars [they even had an ad with crew body painted!]. Australia's Qantas recently unveiled their in-flight safety video, but received some criticism from the public that at 10-minutes, the video is too long and many did not realize that it was an extended version for online viewing while the version played before flights was condensed to six minutes [still a bit long for many.].

Now, India's flagship carrier, Air India, is going through a massive transformation of it's branding, product portfolio and customer service, and one of the many ways Air India is trying to differentiate itself is by presenting itself in a more evolved way.

With this, the airline has also unveiled a new [short] in-flight safety instruction video, that will be displayed in its brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft to begin with and progressively rolled out on other aircraft.

The new safety video, which was created in collaboration with renowned figures, including McCann Worldgroup, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, and singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, is just over four minutes long, presents the necessary safety instructions demonstrated through various Indian dance forms that representing the different regions and states of the country.

“Presenting Air India’s new Safety Film, inspired by the rich and diverse dance traditions of India,” the airline wrote as a part of their X post.

“For centuries, Indian classical dance and folk art forms have served as mediums of storytelling and instruction. Today, they tell another story, that of inflight safety. Presenting Air India’s new Safety Film, inspired by the rich and diverse dance traditions of India,” the airline wrote.

While the crew make safety and commercial decisions on a daily basis with every flight and they are used to operating in an industry with a ‘just’ safety culture, so it is so important for airlines to get that serious message across. At the end of the day, in aviation, safety is everything and for an airline, it’s absolutely crucial to own up to mistakes so that lessons are learnt from others and if necessary, processes changed as a result. ​

For centuries, Indian classical dance and folk-art forms have served as medium of storytelling and instruction. Today, they tell another story, that of inflight safety.

Presenting Air India’s new Safety Film, inspired by the rich and diverse dance traditions of India.#FlyAI… pic.twitter.com/b7ULTRuX1Z

— Air India (@airindia) February 23, 2024

There has been a mixed reaction to the safety video, which has been view over a million times on X.

​Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD of Air India, said, "As a flagbearer of the country and a longstanding patron of Indian art and culture, Air India is thrilled to unveil a masterpiece that not only imparts crucial safety instructions but also celebrates India's vibrant cultural tapestry to travelers worldwide. Our passengers will find this inflight safety video to be both engaging and enlightening, extending a warm welcome to India from the moment they step onboard."

Some feel it is very creative and showcases the best of Indian hospitality while sharing a very serious message, and presents the best of the country to welcome international passengers as they commence their journeys, especially those who will never have been to India and are probably on an exciting trip to enjoy Indian culture, sights and smells! 

"I love the creativity of this [Air India] in-flight safety video expressed through classical Indian dance". was one of the comments, as per the screenshot below.

On the other hand, I saw a number of Tweets that were critical of the fact that while it is creative, the actual safety element is missing. 

"The video is so elaborate that the actual safety warnings are lost in dancing sequences. Pax should be able to easily understand safety demonstration without having to cut through unnecessary information. CAA & FAA has regulations pertaining to this. Does DGCA India have any?", was the comment on X posted by a user as per the below screenshot:

Another one Tweeted that Air India "yet again makes a blunderous attempt at showcasing itself as a premier brand."

Photo Copyright Air India 2024

​"This is a beautiful production, but sadly you have hidden the actual safety information in amongst the dancing that looks like a Bollywood movie," reads another comment.

​Air India has been contacted for comment.