KUALA LUMPUR: Japan Airlines' recent incident where all 379 people onboard were miraculously saved before the carrier's Airbus A350-900 was engulfed in flames has shown the importance of a clear and understandable safety video in times of emergency.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) spokesperson Albert Tjoeng said one striking thing about Japan Airlines' safety video is that it clearly demonstrates the consequences of incorrect actions and focuses on actual evacuation with information on the height of the slide, the method in which to slide down and baggage blocking aisles being shared.
"It would appear that this, together with other factors, may have helped the positive outcome in this evacuation, but we will wait for the accident report before drawing conclusions," he told Business Times.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) director general Subhas Menon said cabin crews play a very important part in evacuations, which is why they are thoroughly trained to cope with various emergency scenarios.
"The Japan Airlines incident underlines how crucial the roles played by everyone onboard are in reacting urgently and in unison to convert a hazardous situation into an ultimately safe outcome."
"Alls well that ends well if the response is prompt, proactive and positive as folks on Japan Airlines' flight JL516 exemplified on this fateful day," he added.
Japan Airlines' flight JL516 had collided with Japan Coast Guard's De Havilland Dash 8 aircraft on the runway of Tokyo Haneda Airport a week ago.
All 367 passengers and 12 crews on the A350 aircraft operated by Japan Airlines escaped unhurt. However, the incident took the lives of five passengers in the smaller Coast Guard's airplane.
When asked about various creative safety videos that airlines have come up with, Subhas said the basic messages are not compromised regardless of how creative the videos are.
He also said safety regulators would approve the videos first before it is played on board as the videos play a part in focusing passenger attention on the safety aspects of commercial flights.
Aviation consultancy Endau Analytics founder and aviation analyst Shukor Yusof said airlines should keep their safety videos simple and straightforward.
"In recent times, airlines have tried to outdo each other by coming up with 'witty' and 'creative' in-flight safety videos, sometimes bordering on silliness."
"Air safety isn't something to joke or make light of, so when celebrities are used to help they tend to distract rather than help as passengers' focus is on them, not the actual safety protocols," he said, adding that airline safety videos must not be treated as TikTok or Instagram items.
However, Tjoeng said using humour, celebrities and other unique methods of displaying information might encourage attention while research has shown that humour can be effective, most notably in Western cultures, in helping retain some of the information especially for frequent travellers.
He said the manner in which the safety information is delivered in the video remains up to each airline although the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) determines the required content of the safety information delivered to passengers.
"Encouraging passengers to view the safety briefing is often a challenge and methods vary around the world according to custom and culture and passenger demographics," Tjoeng added.
Over the years, airlines have come up with creative and interesting safety videos that are played onboard prior to a flight.
About a week ago, Korean Air has released a new inflight safety video featuring virtual humans – a first in airline history - in the airline's flight attendant uniform.
The virtual human was seen to be giving safety instructions within a virtual setting.
Korean Air said it wants to reach out to its diverse customer base of all ages and cultural backgrounds with the virtual human video concept.
"The sleek visual presentation is expected to garner passengers' attention and increase viewers' engagement levels," the airline said in a statement.