Celebs line up for British Airways' new safety video in uncertain times for the airline

There must be stardust in the air. A week after Air New Zealand launched its latest inflight safety video – which swiftly went viral, clocking up 16 million views on YouTube – British Airways has released its star-studded equivalent.

The six-minute film runs through the safety instructions for BA flights, as well as introducing their Flying Start charity, which supports Comic Relief.

The video – produced in conjunction with the charity – features the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gordon Ramsay and Gillian Anderson running through the safety demo. Thandie Newton is on hand to explain where the emergency exits are, Rob Brydon demonstrates the use of a lifejacket, and Sir Ian McKellen and Warwick Davis show how to use an oxygen mask.

Jim Broadbent, meanwhile, demonstrates how to put his tray table up and down and Rowan Atkinson finishes off the film with some Mr Bean-style capers with the Flying Start donations envelope.

Comedian Asim Chaudhry - better known as Chabuddy G, from hit BBC comedy People Just Do Nothing - comperes, in the guise of a director auditioning 10 celebrities for the video.

A longer version of the film will be shown on flights from 1 September, replacing the current animated film, which has run for the past 12 years. This is the first video for BA to use celebrities, though other airlines – notably Air New Zealand – have done so before to great success. ANZ’s Jodi Williams told The Independent this week that their videos double as marketing tools for both the airline and New Zealand as a destination.

Air New Zealand’s 13th video – which stars Katie Holmes and Cuba Gooding Jr – has already been viewed 16 million times. The British Airways film, meanwhile, has managed a respectable 236,000 in a day.

BA CEO Alex Cruz said in a statement: “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.”

The video is a rare piece of good news during a period where the airline has been hit by negative stories like the cabin crew strike and the recent Bank Holiday meltdown. And not everyone is happy about the release. One member of cabin crew who wished to remain anonymous told The Independent, "Paying celebrities to promote the latest five-minute wonder is both a kick in the teeth and a show of disregard to BA's struggling staff. They should be paying attention to their crumbling airline instead."

A British Airways spokesperson said the airline does not comment on relationships with celebrities, but that everyone featured in the video has an already established relationship with Comic Relief.