AirAsia Debuts Girl Group: Controversy Over Flight Attendants Dancing in Crop Tops Onboard

AirAsia Female Flight Attendants Perform Dance Mid-Flight
Video Surpasses 900,000 Views and 40,000 Likes
Marketing Over Safety and Service? Criticisms of Sexual Objectification Raised

A video showing female flight attendants from AirAsia, Malaysia's national low-cost airline, performing a dance inside the cabin has been released, sparking controversy. Critics have argued that the airline is focusing more on marketing than on safety and service, and concerns over "sexual objectification" have also been raised. However, some have responded positively, calling it an innovative attempt.

'In-flight Dance Video' Spreads on Social Media

An AirAsia flight attendant is dancing inside the cabin. TikTok

Recently, a video about one minute long was posted on the social media platform TikTok, showing AirAsia's female flight attendants dancing in the aisle of a flight operating between Don Mueang, Bangkok and Phuket. In the video, the attendants are seen dancing in form-fitting uniforms and crop tops that reveal their midriffs. In some scenes, tattoos are also visible. Passengers appear to be enjoying the performance, recording it on their mobile phones. The video quickly went viral, surpassing 900,000 views and 40,000 likes soon after it was posted.

Among the attendants who performed was Aimma, a member of "Vera," a five-member girl group introduced by AirAsia in March. The performance was set to their debut song "Tick-Tock" and was designed with the concept of on-time flights, aiming to strengthen the brand image. It is reported that the show was held as part of an in-flight event after regular service had concluded.

AirAsia created the Thai girl group "Vera" to further advance brand communication through T-POP (Thai pop). All five members are both AirAsia employees and active members of the girl group. AirAsia

"Uncomfortable" vs "Innovative": Mixed Reactions

Online reactions to the video were divided. Those who viewed the performance negatively commented, "The main job of a flight attendant is safety and service," and "Performances in the cabin disturb passengers' rest." Some also expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Improving service quality and addressing customer inconvenience should come first." There were also criticisms regarding the revealing outfits of the attendants in the video and accusations of sexual objectification.

On the other hand, some viewers responded positively, saying, "It's an interesting new attempt," "It's a unique marketing strategy for an airline," "They look great," "Why didn't I get to see this performance on my flight?" "Service quality has improved," and "It's a short performance and part of marketing, so it's understandable."