Malaysia Airlines takes flight with new culture-inspired safety video

Malaysia Airlines has launched a new inflight safety video, titled "Where culture takes flight", celebrating Malaysia’s heritage and scenic destinations.

According to a Malaysia Airlines spokesperson, Reservoir Productions was tasked with creating a refreshed safety video that complied with regulations while reflecting the airline’s evolving brand identity. The brief focused on five pillars, including delivering a clearer tone of voice, creating a fresher and more premium look, and reinforcing the carrier’s position as both a global operator and national flag carrier.

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The creative direction drew inspiration from past learnings, ensuring clarity of safety messaging remained central. The airline also wanted the film to align with the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026 by showcasing cultural diversity and iconic landmarks. “Its calm, measured pace invites travellers to appreciate Malaysia’s beauty while keeping every safety step clear and easy to follow,” the spokesperson told A+M.

Set across landmarks in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Sabah, Malaysia Airlines’ new inflight safety video blends safety instructions with cultural storytelling. It opens at the pink-domed Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, where a cabin crew member demonstrates luggage stowage and device rules alongside characters in traditional baju Melayu. The journey continues to Kuala Lumpur’s Thean Hou Temple for seatbelt demonstrations, Sutera Harbour in Sabah for life vest instructions, and Mount Kinabalu, where a woman and young girl in Kadazan attire show the use of oxygen masks.

From Sabah, the video shifts to a stylish Kuala Lumpur restaurant to explain brace positions, while also spotlighting Malaysian favourites such as nasi lemak, satay, and mee rebus. The KL skyline and Petronas Twin Towers then frame the explanation of smoking and vaping rules.

The film — accompanied by a soothing yet upbeat soundtrack of traditional Malaysian instruments, percussion, and windpipes— concludes at Batu Caves in Gombak, where traditional Indian dancers illustrate emergency exits and evacuation procedures. One dancer presents the safety information card before the cabin crew closes with a salam, thanking passengers for flying Malaysia Airlines.

The Malaysia Airlines spokesperson said the new approach marks a shift from a performing arts showcase to “a balance of cinematic visuals and authentic cultural storytelling,” reinforcing that the airline is “serious about safety while confident in its cultural identity.”

Director Ashraff Mokhtar of Reservoir Productions told A+M that the brief was “to create an interesting, classy, and premium safety video,” while keeping safety “at the forefront” so that added elements, such as the scenic visuals, did not overshadow the primary purpose. He added that the focus was on “the rakyat, its people,” highlighting Malaysia’s diverse, multicultural, and multireligious identity, something he described as “what makes us unique compared to other countries, and this video reflects exactly that.”

Ashraff also explained that the ideation process was swift, with the shoot completed in about a week, including time in Kota Kinabalu. Post-production took nearly two months due to extensive 3D work and meticulous refinements to ensure the final video looked “polished, clean, and premium.”

The film was supported by executive producer Ryan Khoo, producer Kaviraj Ganayson, director of photography Arvintharan Vallithan, and art director Taufiq Kamal, among others. Where culture takes flight premiered on Malaysia Airlines’ YouTube channel on 27 September.

Viewer feedback on YouTube has been largely positive, with many praising its calmer and clearer presentation compared with the previous version. Some commenters, however, wished to see a broader range of destinations such as Penang, Sarawak, Langkawi, or Merdeka 118, while others noted they would miss the “Satu, Dua, Tiga, Jom!” video.

Back in 2022, Malaysia Airlines put a Malaysian musical twist to its new in-flight safety video titled “Satu, Dua, Tiga, Jom!” by mixing Malaysian arts, culture and music with aviation safety. The in-flight video began with a backdrop of harmonic tunes as its cabin crew and Malaysian performance artists, draped in Malaysia’s traditional baju kebaya, welcome passengers to watch a safety demonstration video.

They then proceeded to demonstrate eight easy-to-follow steps on the safety do’s and don’ts in a musical narration by Malaysia’s prominent figures and characters, comprising Olympic gymnasts, rock bands and the Harimau Malaya football club.

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