New Delta Safety Video: A Hundred Years Of Safety

New Delta Safety Video: A Hundred Years Of Safety

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Delta Air Lines has just unveiled its latest safety video, and it’s a special one, as it celebrates the carrier’s 100th anniversary (well, sort of — airlines take some liberties with their anniversary celebrations, as the company factors in predecessors that eventually became Delta).

Delta unveils 100th anniversary safety video

With Delta celebrating its 100th year of flight, the airline is debuting a new safety video, entitled “A Hundred Years of Safety.” The safety video will be screened on flights as of April 2025, and takes passengers on a journey through the decades of air travel.

The video starts in the 1920s, and features 11 different Delta logos over the years, and 10 employees wearing historically accurate pilot stylings and flight attendant uniforms, provided by archivists from the Delta Flight Museum. You can see the safety video for yourself below.

For many, the most exciting aspect of this will be a cameo from “Deltalina,” the star of Delta’s 2008 safety video. Since I realize that at this point 2008 was well over 15 years ago, there’s a whole generation of people who probably have no clue who she is, so below is the safety video from the time. Deltalina really hasn’t aged a day… good for her!

Here’s how Maya Dukes, Delta’s Managing Director of Global Brand Strategy, Creative and Social, describes this new safety video:

“These quintessential uniforms and references not only demonstrate just how much has changed throughout the last 100 years of air travel – including habits, fashion and culture – but that Delta’s commitment to safety has always been our top priority. Our safety video is viewed by hundreds of thousands of customers every day from all walks of life, so it’s the perfect creative venue to honor our history and people while captivating the attention of customers as they prepare for takeoff.” 

My take on Delta’s special new safety video

I think Delta’s new safety video is cute, and it’s nice how the airline is celebrating its 100-year milestone. It’s always fun to see how uniforms have changed throughout the years, and the cameo from Deltalina is delightful, despite the lack of a finger wag.

Now, it’s interesting to note that several years back, Qantas had a similar 100th anniversary safety video concept, taking a trip down memory lane, from the 1920s to 2020. Personally, I thought the production quality there was a bit higher, but it also has a different theme.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that Delta has featured uniforms throughout the years in its safety videos. In 2018, the airline had a safety video about uniforms over time, coinciding with the new Zac Posen-designed uniforms that the airline was launching at the time.

Lastly, for context, below is Delta’s most recent safety video, which started being screened in early 2024. I think it’s supposed to be calming and relaxing, though it’s abstract, and I’m not sure I understand how the theme is supposed to tie into the airline.

Bottom line

Delta has unveiled a new safety video, which celebrates the carrier’s 100th anniversary. The safety video features uniforms throughout the years, and even has an appearance from “Deltalina.” You can expect to see this video screened on Delta flights as of April 2025.

What do you make of Delta’s new safety video?

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  1. sunviking82 Guest

    Loved this! My Dad took his first flight on DL during WW2 from ATL to PIT on a DC-3. He always tells the story since he could see his Dad parked at the airport waiting for him while they landed. He took a lot of DC-3; DC-4; DC-6; Stratocruiser and Connie flights in the early days. We have the United and TWA plaque (what you got before FF miles in those days. He must of...

    Loved this! My Dad took his first flight on DL during WW2 from ATL to PIT on a DC-3. He always tells the story since he could see his Dad parked at the airport waiting for him while they landed. He took a lot of DC-3; DC-4; DC-6; Stratocruiser and Connie flights in the early days. We have the United and TWA plaque (what you got before FF miles in those days. He must of had over 2 million by the time at 96 I took him on his last flight from PHX back to PHL on an A321. Thanks for the memories DL. . . Dad would have loved this!

  2. Mike Guest

    Video is too long for my liking, but still cute (and I agree with Ben that the Qantas one was way cooler).
    Small comment if someone from Delta is reading: I cannot get over how dirty the fingernails of the dude putting on his life vest are. and in extreme close up! Even more shocking that nobody noticed it during the approval process. Surely the production could have afforded a $15 manicure. Not too late to edit the video

  3. SDRon Guest

    Way back during a kinder and gentler era there were no safety videos. I was on PanAm in F when the demonstration started. I made a comment to my seat mate that I could do that demo. Well, the flight attendant (stewardess at that time) handed me the life vest challenging me to do it. Boy, I screwed it up and was embarrassed. Maybe too many drinks. On the post below about flying before 1978,...

    Way back during a kinder and gentler era there were no safety videos. I was on PanAm in F when the demonstration started. I made a comment to my seat mate that I could do that demo. Well, the flight attendant (stewardess at that time) handed me the life vest challenging me to do it. Boy, I screwed it up and was embarrassed. Maybe too many drinks. On the post below about flying before 1978, I was already a Lifetime member of the Pan Am Clipper Club in 1976. Yeah, I know, so what, big deal. See you in the Sky Club.

    2 more replies
  4. dander Guest

    Leave the political and racist speak to other forums. I am sure I with the majority of readers that come her for airline stories and not the endless babbling of a P.C. culture. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. It wasn't as bad as some of you claim.

  5. Geneva Karr Guest

    “Nate” should be thrilled he didn’t live in the 20s

    I doubt “unnatural behavior” was accepted them
    And no. It’s not an out. He’s one of the most out employees at delta. Everyone knows he is and his boyfriend posts about it publicly.

    3 more replies
  6. BZ Guest

    Hundred years of safety has degraded into engine fires and flipped airplanes.

    All thanks to Putin’s cousin and his mistress Elonia.

  7. AeroB13a Guest

    One finds it necessary to establish a very important fact for the benefit of some contributors to this blog.
    Tim Dunn is not using the login AeroB13a as an alternative to his own.
    Tim Dunn is very obviously American, while AeroB13a is undoubtedly English.
    Only a numpty of very little brain could possibly think otherwise.

    7 more replies
  8. bossa Guest

    Although this is a minor point and this is after all a safety video, I would think it better if DL did not directly link its centennial to safety. The first thing that came to my mind just upon seeing the title was a mental recounting of as many DL accidents/incidents. It's especially ironic at the present time with the recent unfortunate events in YYZ & LGA.
    A historical perspective is educational, informative and...

    Although this is a minor point and this is after all a safety video, I would think it better if DL did not directly link its centennial to safety. The first thing that came to my mind just upon seeing the title was a mental recounting of as many DL accidents/incidents. It's especially ironic at the present time with the recent unfortunate events in YYZ & LGA.
    A historical perspective is educational, informative and amusing and a 100 year span with accidents is unavoidable but from a public relations perception, the industry should tread lightly.
    Even QF has had accidents/incidents if not a single fatality throughout its history !

  9. SMC422 Guest

    It's cool that the IFE screens have the evolution of Delta's logo overtime too!

  10. Alan Guest

    I will give Delta credit for putting more effort into their safety videos than any other US carrier. I don’t know of anyone else that puts out multiple safety videos a year. Although the results can be quite mixed, they’ve definitely put out some good ones in the past. The welcome videos from Ed are also generally quite good.

  11. Alan Guest

    I will say Delta definitely has their safety video game on point. No other US airline that I know of puts out a new safety video multiple times a year. Although the results can be mixed, they’ve definitely come out with some good ones in the past. The welcome videos from Ed are also generally quite good

  12. Anthony Diamond

    I think it is cool that they use actual flight attendants for these videos instead of actors. I remember being on a flight to London with an FA who also starred in the safety video shown on the flight.

  13. SkepticalFlyer Guest

    We all appreciate the irony here, right? A new safety video on the heels of two pilot-error induced near catastrophes in the last month? Unbelievable.

    1. Plane Jane Guest

      To be fair. Endeavor doesn’t have seat back screens to show this safety video ;)

  14. Plane Jane Guest

    The video is Quite the rewriting of flying delta history in the Deep South in the 40s and 50s but very very delta to pretend they never had that history of corporate racism via casting.

    Delta didn’t even hire a single black flight attendant until the late 60s and her experiences of blatant racism in the Deep South are very sad to read.

    21 more replies
  15. Greg Guest

    Not a knock on them but funny they couldn’t come up with a pop culture “look” to make the 2000s or 2010s look distinctive from today. It’s been 25 years not 5 this century but our styles haven’t changed nearly as much as they did last century. Not that it’s a bad thing either we’re all more individual in our styles now I guess.

  16. SR Guest

    It’s fascinating to see how delta thinks they are creative when they are in fact really boring from livery to uniforms to colors to fonts and now this new video… yawn !

  17. Tim Dunn New Member

    it is cute.

    the best scenes are pre-deregulation air travel. There are virtually no customers that knew DL or any other airline before 1978.

    just over half of DL's history was as a regulated company where it was the underdog - never part of the Spoils conference - and just under half under e deregulation where it went from the 6th largest US airline to the largest airline in the world by revenue and market cap and first of the US airlines to celebrate 100 years.

    6 more replies
  18. pstm91 Diamond

    Makes you wonder if they were set to release it a few weeks ago but had to delay after Toronto... Also, will they have another 100 years celebration for Delta itself, whenever that is? Would be a bit strange...

  19. Jim Guest

    As regards anniversaries that require retconning predecessor organizations, I think to my alma mater, which claims a founding date of 1817, but which didn't hold its first class until 1841. Conveniently, nobody from that era is around to refute it...

  20. Creditcrunch Diamond

    I like the new livery they revealed this week on a couple of aircraft too.

    2 more replies
  21. Watson Diamond

    Does it feature shots of the A350-1000 or their oil refinery?

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Plane Jane Guest

lol What? Are you suggesting Atlanta and delta was some bastion of progressive culture in the 50s? MLK may be from there but he found his voice and calling looking at his surroundings in Atlanta , not by watching Atlanta lead the way. What a weird response. But sure. Let’s pretend the 40s, 50s, and 60s in the Deep South never happened with happy ethnicities talking to each other and working together when delta certainly did not lead in that area.

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Plane Jane Guest

The video is Quite the rewriting of flying delta history in the Deep South in the 40s and 50s but very very delta to pretend they never had that history of corporate racism via casting. Delta didn’t even hire a single black flight attendant until the late 60s and her experiences of blatant racism in the Deep South are very sad to read.

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Plane Jane Guest

Nobody called ed bastian a “homophone” Go back to your drink, tim Get a better life. This one is pathetic. And don’t talk about current diversity quotient when you said yourself no one has published except United. God, you’re sad Where’s aero? Is he finally asleep? Lol

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