Celebrities take a “Flying Start”

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. The “director’s cut” version of the safety video is a slightly shortened version of the real BA in-flight video.

“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,” says Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive.

“We’ve worked with Comic Relief since 2010 and our customers have already helped us generate 16.5 million pounds (Bt721 million) for great causes. We hope the new video will enable us to exceed our goal of raising 20 million pounds 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.

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 more than 1 billion pounds. That money has helped and is helping, people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world.

For further information, visit www.BA-FlyingStart.com.