Etihad Soars to New Heights with Spectacular Musical Skydiving Stunt Celebrating Mission Impossible Film

Etihad has pulled off a daring stunt like no other: The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has proved nothing is impossible by orchestrating a mid-air musical skydiving feat to mark the global launch of Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part One.

Etihad arranged a team of skydiving musicians, whose task was to play the Mission: Impossible theme song while hurtling down 13,000 at 120 mph through the air.

How it all started
To create the melodic stunt, the airline had to look for very specific people: skydivers who can also play a musical instrument. More importantly, those who are willing to do both things at the same time.

With the assistance of Dubai-based advertising agency Impact BBDO, they found willing skydivers who then practiced playing their musical parts in a windy environment for weeks.

Each instrument was custom-rigged so that the skydivers could safely play while falling, even after pulling the parachute string.

How it was completed
Aside from the daredevil musicians, there was one key player in this stunt: a skydiving cinematographer who not only jumped with every musician, but also participated in a group jump to capture the stunt itself.

After all, it didn’t happen if it wasn’t captured on camera:

The stunt’s message
The stunt was intended to highlight that Etihad is an airline that pushes boundaries and makes it their mission to deliver incredible experiences and hospitality to its guests.

Throughout August 2023, 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.

Passengers traveling on Etihad will be able to enjoy a dedicated Mission: Impossible channel on E-BOX, its inflight entertainment service. The channel will feature the six previous Mission: Impossible movies as well as exciting behind-the-scenes content of the latest adventure, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.