Pre-flight safety demonstration explained

A pre-flight safety briefing (also known as a pre-flight demonstration, in-flight safety briefing, in-flight safety demonstration, safety instructions, or simply the safety video) is a detailed explanation given before take-off to airline passengers about the safety features of the aircraft they are aboard.

Aviation regulations do not state how an airline should deliver the briefing, only that "The operator of an aircraft shall ensure that all passengers are orally briefed before each take-off".^[1] As a result, and depending on the in-flight entertainment system in the aircraft, as well as the airline's policy, airlines may deliver a pre-recorded briefing or provide a live demonstration. A live demonstration is performed by one or more flight attendants standing up in the aisles, while another flight attendant narrates over the public address system. A pre-recorded briefing may feature audio only, or may take the form of a video (audio plus visual). Pre-flight safety briefings typically last two to six minutes. In consideration for travelers not speaking the airline's official language and for the passengers with hearing problems, the video may feature subtitles, an on-screen signer, or may be repeated in another language.

Some safety videos are made using three-dimensional graphics.^[2] Other videos were made to be humorous, or feature celebrities, or were based on popular movies. Many safety videos were uploaded to YouTube.^{[3] [4]} The flight attendant featured in a Delta Air Lines video from 2008 has become an internet celebrity known as Deltalina. The former British Airways safety video, featuring several comedians, actors and other celebrities such as Rowan Atkinson, Gordon Ramsay and Gillian Anderson, is of humorous character and seeks to raise funds for the Comic Relief charity.^[5]

Required elements

ICAO Doc 10086 recommends safety briefings should be given in English and the language of the operator. In addition, the operator may consider use of the official language of the states of departure and destination, as well as any other language appropriate to the passengers on board. Some aircraft have pre-recorded briefings in multiple languages to facilitate this.^[6] English is not mandatory, and the operator will choose the most appropriate language(s) to be used on its flights. This may vary from flight to flight.^[7]

There is no ICAO or EU requirement that cabin crew speak English.^[8]

Airlines are required to orally brief their passengers before each take-off.^{[1] [9]} This requirement is set by their nation's civil aviation authority, under the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization. All airline safety videos are subtitled or shown secondarily in English as it is the lingua franca of aviation. Sometimes a video briefing is subtitled with the primary language of the country the airline is based in or the language of the city where the plane originates or flies to. This is up to the airline, but most (if not all) elect to do this through a safety briefing or demonstration delivered to all passengers at the same time. A safety demonstration typically covers all these aspects, not necessarily in this order:

• the brace position, which must be adopted on hearing the "Brace, Brace" command during an emergency landing (sometimes called the safety position; this is not required in the United States and certain other countries and is mostly included in European regions)
• the use of the seat belt; using a seat-belt is strictly required during take-off and landing, and during flight in known turbulence areas, but most airlines recommend or require that passengers keep their seat belt fastened at all times in case of unexpected turbulence
• the location and use of the emergency exits, evacuation slides and emergency floor level lighting
  • a diagram or description of the location of exits on that particular aircraft, or that they are being pointed out by crew and are described in the safety card
  • a reminder that all passengers should locate (and sometimes count the number of rows to) their nearest exit, which may be behind them
• the requirements for sitting in an emergency exit row (varies by country and airline); in some countries (including the United States) it must also be stated that exit row passengers may be required to assist the crew in an evacuation
• that all passengers must leave all carry-on bags behind during an evacuation; the purpose of this instruction is to facilitate fast evacuation
  • some demonstrations also mention that high heeled shoes and/or any sharp objects must be removed (this is to ensure that evacuation slides are not punctured)
• the use of the oxygen mask (not included on some turboprops which do not fly high enough to need supplemental oxygen in a decompression emergency) with associated reminders:
  • that the passenger should always fit his or her own mask on before helping children, the disabled, or any persons requiring assistance; the reason for that is that otherwise he might faint before he finishes to help the others, and then all of them will suffer^[10]
  • that even though oxygen will be flowing to the mask, the plastic bag may not inflate (required in the United States after a woman fatally removed her mask thinking it was not working); some planes such as the Boeing 787 or Boeing 777-300ER do not include plastic bags in the oxygen masks.
  • if applicable to the aircraft in question, that the passenger must pull down on a strap to retrieve the mask
  • this part of the safety demonstration is sometimes technically permitted to be done after take-off, since it is not applicable while the aircraft is at low altitude
• the location and use of the life vests, life rafts and other flotation devices, like floatable seat cushions (not always included if the flight does not overfly or fly near vast masses of water although is required by the FAA on any aircraft equipped with life vests)
  • a reminder that the life vests should only be inflated after leaving the plane; this is to facilitate fast evacuation and also to prevent people from floating in a submerged plane which will prevent them from reaching the doors (several passengers died this way in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961)^[11]
• restrictions enforced by law and/or airline policies, which typically include
  • requirements that passengers must comply with lighted signs, posted placards, and crew members instructions (generally only included in safety demonstrations on Australian, New Zealand, and American carriers as the CASA (AU), CAA (NZ) and FAA (US) require it to be stated)
  • that smoking is not allowed on board, including in the lavatories (though most airlines now refer to them as restrooms); on all domestic flights in the United States and international flights going to or from that country, a warning that prohibits the use of e-cigarettes is also announced^{[12] [13]}
    • on flights where smoking was permitted, a reminder was often issued that smoking was only acceptable in smoking sections, but not when the no-smoking sign was illuminated nor anywhere else on board; another reminder warned that in case of deployment of the oxygen masks, any lit cigarettes must be extinguished; airlines which prohibited smoking on all their flights usually reminded passengers of such carrier-wide restriction; smoking was banned on all domestic and international flights in 2000
  • that United States federal law prohibits tampering with, disabling or destroying lavatory smoke detectors
  • that the use of mobile phones is not allowed during flight, unless placed in "airplane mode" or the wireless capability is turned off, unless the aircraft has cellular connection and/or Wi-Fi
  • that laptops and other electronics may only be used once the aircraft is at cruising altitude or the captain turns off the fasten seat-belt signs
    • some airlines may require passengers to also turn off all devices during taxi, take-off, and landing (such as Kenya Airways, Air Austral, and Ethiopian Airlines) (As of July 1st, 2023, Malaysia Airlines no longer requires passengers to switch off their electronic devices for takeoff and landing as Gate to Gate Connectivity has been installed on their new Boeing 737s) in addition to having these devices set to airplane mode
    • if present, most airlines may also require passengers to unplug these devices from charging ports during these times
    • some newer aircraft have separate "please turn off electronic devices" signs in place of the now unnecessary "no smoking" signs (as smoking is never allowed anyway) and that electronics should be completely shut off and put away when these signs are illuminated
    • If the passenger loses an electronic device under a seat, the passenger should not attempt to move the seat as this may damage the device or injure the passenger; the passenger should instead notify the flight attendants to locate the device safely
• actions required of passengers prior to takeoff (sometimes referred to as “final cabin check” and often accompanied with a physical check by crew):
  • a reminder that seat belts are securely fastened and that all aisles, bulkheads and emergency exit rows must remain clear at all times
  • that seatbacks and tray tables should be in their upright and locked position, leg- or footrest put away in premium cabins, headrests must be down and unfolded on select airlines (such as United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and KLM), and carry-on luggage stowed in the overhead locker or underneath a seat prior to takeoff; the purpose of all these instructions is to facilitate faster evacuation in case of emergency
  • that stowable video screens must be put away once the safety video is done
  • in most cases, if seated next to a window, the window blinds must be raised for take off and landing. The reason is that in case of emergency during take-off or landing, the eyes of the passengers will already be used to the day or night light outside, and they will be able to react more quickly. It also allows faster detection of troubles in the wings and engines.^[14] Windows must be closed however on flights departing Chinese military airports.
    • this is not necessary to include on aircraft without window shades, typically on aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
• to review the safety information card prior to takeoff or to follow along during the demonstration/video

History

After the 1928 KLM Fokker F.III Waalhaven crash in July 1928 it was suggested that it would be good to tell passenger before a flight where the emergency exit is located. In that accident the passengers didn’t know the location of the emergency exit in the ceiling of the aircraft and all would have survived when having used the emergency exit.^[15]

Video briefings

In the United States, the approval for using video for pre-flight safety demonstrations was originally included in FAA Advisory Circular 135-12, released on October 9, 1984. This is further explained in FAA Advisory Circular 121-24C, which stated that video offered several advantages over the standard manual demonstration, but only provided that the airliner has the required video and sound systems to exhibit the video properly.

As in-flight video entertainment systems were beginning to see mainstream introduction, airlines began producing safety demonstration videos to be used in lieu of or in tandem with a manual demonstration performed by one or more flight attendants. Notable examples include Trans World Airlines, Pan Am, and Northwest.

Early videos from the late 1980s sometimes omit warnings about electronic devices, as it was less of a concern at the time. Since smoking was still acceptable on many airliners, these videos feature antiquated reminders about smoking on board, including acceptable locations to do so and a command to stop smoking should the oxygen masks be deployed.

Videos of this era often use 2-dimensional animation or very primitive 3D computer generated imagery to illustrate elements of the demonstration. While animation is usually used sparingly, some videos are fully animated (usually in 3D), such as ATA's circa-1994 safety video.

When videos of this time were captioned, it was usually only captioned in the language already being spoken on the audio track. Bilingual videos typically had the primary language's instructions repeated verbally immediately afterward, but almost never had the secondary language captioned.

Arguably, elements of the demonstration were either overexplained, underexplained, or poorly described during this time. For instance, TWA's safety video mentioned a "slight burning odor" when oxygen masks are in use. Most demonstrations were also lacking in their explanation of electronic device policies as portable electronic devices were only beginning to become a concern.

Videos were typically designated to a specific model of aircraft but shared certain assets between videos produced by the same airline, including film recorded on a completely different aircraft. This practice continues to the modern day, although it is variably less prevalent than during the 1980s and 1990s.

Late 1990s and early 2000s

By this point, airlines had found a refined format for their safety videos. Most videos, though produced differently, kept the same basic script with the same points. For instance, the Delta Air Lines safety video from 2000 and 2001 quoted one of their early '90s videos almost verbatim for most of the runtime.

Electronic device policies were also updated to include that cellular phones and other radio-based electronics are not permitted to be used at any time while other devices may be used in-flight but must be shut off for take-off and landing.

Effectiveness

Research conducted at the University of New South Wales in Australia questions the effectiveness of these briefings in conveying key safety messages for passengers to recall and act upon in an emergency.^[16] In one study, a range of pre-recorded safety briefings were tested. One safety briefing contained humor, another was void of humor (said to reflect a standard style briefing), and another used a celebrity to sell the importance of the safety briefing and the messages contained within. Not long after being exposed to the briefing, individuals recalled approximately 50% of the key safety messages from the briefing featuring the celebrity, 45% from the briefing containing humor, and 32% from the briefing void of both a celebrity and humor. Two hours post exposure to the pre-flight safety briefings, recall decreased on average by 4% from the original levels across all conditions.

External links

List of airline safety videos

• on the official Air France channel (French and English)
• on the official Air India channel
• on the official Air Mauritius channel (English with French subtitles)
• Air New Zealand
  • on the official Air New Zealand channel
  • on the official Air New Zealand channel
• on the official American Airlines channel
• on the official British Airways channel
• on the official Cathay Pacific channel (English and Cantonese)
• on the official Copa Airlines channel (Spanish and English)
• on the official Delta Air Lines channel
• on the official El Al channel
• on the official Etihad Airways channel (English and Arabic)
• on the official Garuda Indonesia channel (Indonesian with English subtitles)
• on the official Hainan Airlines channel (Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles)
• on the official Hawaiian Airlines channel
• on the official Japan Airlines channel (Japanese and English)
• on the official KLM channel
• on the official LATAM Brasil channel (Portuguese and English)
• on the official LOT Polish Airlines channel
• on the official Malaysia Airlines channel (English with Malay subtitles)
• on the official Philippine Airlines channel
• on the official Singapore Airlines channel
• on the official Turkish Airlines channel
• on the official United Airlines channel
• on the official Uzbekistan Airways channel
• on the official WestJet channel (English and French)

Other

• The Evolution of Airline Safety Videos from CityLab
• Pixel Labs page about TAM safety video

Notes and References

1. Civil Aviation Safety Authority. (2009). Civil Aviation Orders (CAO) 20.11. Canberra, Australia: Author.
2. "TAM." Pixel Labs. Retrieved on February 25, 2009.
3. Montgomery, Bill. "Who needs clothes in an airline safety video? ." Houston Chronicle. June 30, 2009. Retrieved on July 21, 2009.
4. "Nudity, cartoons grab air travelers' attention ." CNN. Friday July 31, 2009. Retrieved on August 26, 2009.
5. Web site: STARS SHOW OFF SAFETY IN NEW BRITISH AIRWAYS VIDEO . BritishAirways.com . 8 June 2018 . 12 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140555/http://mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/86/2017-228/8663 . live .
6. Web site: Passenger safety briefing . EASA . 28 December 2023 . en.
7. Web site: Is there any requirement on what languages(s) should be used for information provided to passengers via safety briefings and announcements? . EASA . 10 January 2024 . en.
8. Web site: Is there any requirement on cabin crew member(s) communication with passengers in a certain language? . EASA . 28 December 2023 . en.
9. Federal Aviation Administration. (2014). Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) 14 CFR Section 135.117. Washington, DC: Author.
10. Web site: Coffey . Helen . 2017-01-24 . Why you really SHOULD put your own oxygen mask on first . 2024-02-21 . Express.co.uk . en.
11. Web site: Godfrey . Kara . 2018-05-13 . Flight secrets: Never inflate your life jacket on a plane due to this . 2024-02-21 . Express.co.uk . en.
12. Web site: U.S. issues new e-cigarette regulations for airlines. www.cbsnews.com. 3 March 2016 . 2020-11-11. 2020-11-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111170744/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-ban-electronic-cigarettes-domestic-foreign-airlines/. live.
13. Web site: FAA warns U.S. airlines about e-cigarette risk. www.cbsnews.com. 23 January 2015 . 2020-11-11. 2020-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092643/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/faa-warns-airlines-carriers-about-e-cig-risk/. live.
14. Web site: 2016-02-27 . This is why airlines make you open window shades during take off and landing . 2024-02-20 . The Independent . en.
15. News: Het vliegtuigongeval in de Waalhaven. Het Volk. 25 July 1928. Delpher. nl.
16. Molesworth, B. R. C. (2014). Examining the Effectiveness of Pre-Flight Cabin Safety Announcements in Commercial Aviation. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 24(4), 300-314.