British Airways changes the game when it comes of pre-flight safety video

Cristina Blanaru Creativity, CSR, People
A team of top celebrities including Gordon Ramsay, Rob Brydon, Sir Ian McKellen and Thandie Newton make appearances in British Airways’ entertaining new pre-flight safety video, which launches in September.

The new film features some of Britain’s best-loved personalities and has been designed to help customers absorb important safety messages, while boosting fund-raising for ‘Flying Start’, the global charity partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and CEO:

It’s extremely important to us that customers engage with our safety video, and involving some of the nation’s most well-known personalities has given us the chance to create something fun that we hope people will watch from start to finish – and remember.

We’ve worked with Comic Relief since 2010 and our customers have already helped us generate £16.5 million for great causes. We hope the new video will enable us to exceed our goal of raising £20 million by 2020.

Ten celebrities are seen auditioning in humorous sketches in front of comedian Asim Chaudhry, as his People Just Do Nothing character Chabuddy G, for a coveted part in the safety video, while simultaneously demonstrating the safety features and procedures on the aircraft.


In a characteristic section at the end of the video, Rowan Atkinson comically fumbles around his seat for loose change to place in a Flying Start envelope, which are available to customers on flights to enable them to make donations to Comic Relief.

The celebrities that feature in the video are: Gordon Ramsay, Rob Brydon, Sir Ian McKellen, Rowan Atkinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jim Broadbent, Thandie Newton, Gillian Anderson, Warwick Davis, Jess Glynne and Chabuddy G (Asim Chaudhry)

Since British Airways’ partnership with Comic Relief – Flying Start – began in 2010, it has raised £16.5 million to help children around the world living incredibly tough lives. The airline aims to raise £20 million by 2020.

Comic Relief is a UK charity which aims to create a just world, free from poverty – where everyone is safe, healthy, educated and empowered. Since 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1 billion. That money has helped, and is helping, people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world.