Qantas has continued its shift to more relatable in-flight safety videos, using everyday Australians in stunning locations for its latest on-board safety video launched over the weekend in the US.
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The three-minute video, featuring non-actors such as a fashion designer at Docklands, Victoria, a doctor in Mount Ainslie, ACT and Indigenous dancers in Cape Banks, NSW, was unveiled at the Loews hotel in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
The previous video, released one year ago, also had non-actors in 16 locations across the country, creating a showcase of amazing places to visit.
Before that, Qantas had used Hollywood legend and airline ambassador John Travolta and sports stars to help impart the safety message.
The national airline carrier admitted it was trying to find smart ways to reach new audiences. It's something that has proven extremely effective for trans-Tasman rival Air New Zealand – the Kiwi carrier's humorous safety videos featuring a range of celebrities have been viewed tens of millions of times online.
As the biggest private investor in Australian tourism promotion, Qantas is hoping the video will prove as popular as its predecessor, which has accrued 90 million views across social media platforms.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce said the goal was to "make the safety video engaging as well as informative".
"We know the combination of beautiful landscapes and laidback Aussie charm really cuts through. It's also why this video doubles as a perfect tourism ad."
Other people and places featured include an apple grower from Hobart, a caravan park cleaner from Cape Hillsborough, Queensland, a winery experience from the Barossa Valley, SA and a window washer from the Gold Coast.
There are 60 versions to accommodate 11 languages and the varying aircraft types across the Qantas group fleet.
The video will screen across domestic and international flights from February 1.
Meanwhile, Qantas also opened a new A380 superjumbo maintenance hangar at Los Angeles International airport, promising a more efficient and reliable service for passengers.
Joyce unveiled the $50 million, 5.7 hectare facility, explaining the benefits of being able to conduct maintenance on four A380 aircraft simultaneously.
"This facility offers a huge improvement on what we had before. The maintenance is 20 per cent more efficient. So it means our aircraft are more reliable and our schedules are more on time and that's great for our customers."
Features of the new hangar include two aircraft parking pads with walkways direct to the workshop, a larger spare parts facility and electric vehicle charging stations.
The previous hangar was built in 1958: "On the last day of operation of the hangar, the light fitting fell down," Mr Joyce said. "So it was ready to retire."
Qantas also has plans to lease the only purpose-built A380 facility in North America, subject to availability, to other airlines that may want to share the space or have Qantas engineers do the work for them. Deals could generate millions of dollars for the national carrier.
Qantas operates more than 40 return flights a week from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Los Angeles using A380s and B747s. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner services on the Melbourne-LA route begin December this year.
The writer travelled to Los Angeles as a guest of Qantas.
