Youtube VideoAir New Zealand is making a habit of creating memorable inflight safety briefings. First it was the tasteful nudes, then came a cast of All Blacks, followed by a rather puerile puppet. And .99’s latest 80s inspired effort, which features Richard Simmons, Paul Henry, Phil Keoghan, Temepara George and, as expected, a little cameo from Rob Fyfe, has continued that trend and looks set to add a few million more views to the seven million the airline’s previous safety videos have already garnered on YouTube.
Starting today, sequin-laden glamourpuss Richard Simmons will be the airline’s newest ambassador (the airline has already developed a Twitter hashtag #richroll), showing off his ageless upper thigh region and putting Air New Zealand customers through their paces with the airline’s extremely camp pre-flight safety briefing ‘Fit to Fly’.
The video (which looks like it could have been inspired by Air New Zealand’s recent Pink Flight to the Sydney Mardi Gras) features lycra-, leg warmer- and sweatband-clad Air New Zealand cabin crew, Les Mills fitness instructors, Silver Ferns and even self-deprecating controversial broadcasters (or as Air New Zealand likes to call Paul Henry, a “television personality”) busting out some sweet disco moves. And, as is becoming the custom, chief executive Rob Fyfe also features, this time donning pink shorts and a purple head band for the occasion. 
The track featured is a specially recorded version of Yazz’s 1980s hit ‘The Only Way is Up’, performed by New Zealand singer Leza Corban.
While the ‘Bare Essentials of Safety’ and ‘Crazy about Rugby’ videos were universally well-liked and, the smart seeding strategy led to many millions of views and a boatload of international media coverage, the most recent innuendo-heavy safety video fronted by the rather polarising mascot Rico failed to reach those giddy heights (Rico’s fairly cringey rap duo with Snoop Dogg could possibly be put in the same category).
The new ‘Fit to Fly’ safety video goes live today onboard Air New Zealand’s narrowbody aircraft fleets, and will also be showing on the airline’s widebody aircraft from 1 May.
Youtube Video And if you just can’t get enough of this ‘Mile-high Madness’, there’s even a behind the scenes vid.
