Emirates Flight Attendants: Benfica Football Club ‘Safety’ Video

My idea of football and the world’s idea of football may be two entirely different things considering that I was raised in the Southern half of the United States. However, being married to a Brit, I can at least say that I have attended some ‘real’ football matches – Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers and a few more (although some might say those weren’t real matches).  Our small town hosts several youth soccer tournaments and this year’s NAASTI (North American Adult Soccer Tournament Index) tournament will be held at Hilton Head later in November. Football also makes its way into our home occasionally when there happens to be an particularly exciting match on the television – especially if it involves Manchester United. It is just that because of the way games are televised so late at night (or early in the morning) that we don’t watch as much as we would like.

An article in The Daily Mail yesterday happened to catch my eye. It was about Emirates flight attendants performing at the start of the game between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica in Lisbon. Beginning with the announcement “Emirates welcomes you aboard Estadio da Luz,” the flight attendants carry on with a very special and entertaining ‘safety demonstration’. Pointing out the 65,000 fans, the 32 exits and the two goals they finish their demonstration by showing the correct way to don the Benifica football scarf. Fans were also admonished to “put your bags securely at your feet, and ensure your electronic devices are put away, so you can concentrate on giving your team the ultimate cheer they deserve.”

In 2014 Emirates partnered with Benfica as the Club’s  Official Airline. In May, Sir Tim Clark the airline’s President joined Mr. Luis Filipe Vieira, the President of Benfica,  at the Estadio da Luz to sign the deal to become the Main Sponsor of the Club. In the future, this means that the front of the footballers’ jerseys will be emblazoned with the iconic Fly Emirates. Flights from Lisbon to Dubai (and points onward) carry almost 10,000 passengers daily.

An Emirates official said, “‘We wanted to take the opportunity to do something that the fans in the stadium would remember and we think this worked.”

I think you may agree with him. Enjoy this Emirates moment!