Etihad Airways Achieves the Impossible with Epic Skydiving Orchestra Stunt

Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national airline, revealed an electrifying stunt in celebration of its collaboration with Paramount Pictures on the worldwide launch of the highly-anticipated film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. 

In the adrenaline-fueled video, Etihad Airways performed a stunt that had never been done before. In collaboration with Paramount, Etihad put together a skydiving orchestra, who could play the instantly recognisable Mission: Impossible theme song while falling 13,000 feet at 193 km/h through the air.

How the mission was completed 

To pull it off, Etihad Airways, together with their advertising agency Impact BBDO, launched a global search for professional skydivers who were also talented musicians. They also recruited a skilled skydiving cinematographer that could capture everything on film. 

The stunt took weeks of preparation. Each skydiver was given their part of music to practice and learn by heart, which they needed to be able to play perfectly despite the wild environment while skydiving. 

In addition, custom rigging attached each instrument to the skydivers for safety. Each diver had to be able to safely play the instrument and then free their hands to pull the parachute, which was not an easy task. The rigging ended up affecting the rate at which the musicians fell which added another layer of complexity when it came to filming. 

However, the hours of practice, rigging, and preparation paid off. Etihad was able to create an impossible orchestra of their own and highlight to the world that Etihad is an airline that pushes boundaries and makes it their mission to deliver incredible experiences and hospitality to its guests. 

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and is now available to watch in cinemas across the globe. 

Key parts of the movie were filmed at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Midfield Terminal, with one of the most thrilling and technically complex action scenes taking place on the building’s 315 metre roof. 

Throughout August, guests flying in Etihad’s First and Business cabins will be treated to a cinema style Movie Snacks menu and indulge in themed mocktails such as Mission Accomplished, Undercover Sipper, Secret Agent and Thyme’s Up. 

Guests travelling on Etihad will be able to enjoy a dedicated Mission: Impossible channel on E-BOX, its inflight entertainment service. The channel will feature six of the Mission: Impossible series as well as exciting behind-the-scenes content.