SkyUp Airlines has teamed up with US rock band Imagine Dragons to record an inflight announcement in support of the UNITED24 foundation. Having sold more than 75 million records worldwide, the group from Las Vegas is now working in partnership with SkyUp Airlines and UNITED24 in aid of Ukraine.

The welcome greeting for SkyUp Airlines recorded by Imagine Dragons is now being played across the low-cost carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737s, and can be heard in the below tweet from UNITED24:

SkyUp Airlines’ marketing director, Marianna Hryhorash, celebrated the unique collaboration, saying,

"SkyUp supports initiatives to aid and develop our native country. We are proud to join the UNITED24 project, which unites global opinion leaders, including Imagine Dragons, in supporting Ukraine. Being a Ukrainian business operating flights in Europe, we carry faith in the victory of Ukraine on our orange wings. We also believe that the largest Imagine Dragons concert will take place in Kyiv soon, and we will re-open our country to the whole world.”

With its own operations still suspended due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, SkyUp Airlines has taken to providing wet leasing services to other carriers, such as Corendon Airlines and Smartwings, operating flights on their behalf across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737-800
Photo: kbp.spotter | Shutterstock

More on UNITED24

UNITED24 is a global initiative to support Ukraine, launched in May 2022 by president Volodymyr Zelensky. Its aim is to raise awareness and funds for Ukraine, and up to the end of last year, over $237 million had been raised.

The foundation is supported by a number of high-profile ambassadors, including singer Barbara Streisand, tennis player Elina Svitolina, and as of July 2022, Imagine Dragons. UNITED24’s coordinator Yaroslava Gres, commented on the partnership with Imagine Dragons and SkyUp Airlines, saying,

"The world-famous musicians from Imagine Dragons became ambassadors for UNITED24 in July 2022. Since then, they have been constantly supporting projects and fundraisers to help Ukraine - from an ambulance fundraiser to an autographed guitar raffle for subscribing to a monthly donation; from participating in a concert for Independence Day of Ukraine to recording a greeting for SkyUp passengers. We are very grateful for this support and believe that one day the band will record another special greeting — one for passengers on the first flight to Kyiv.”

SkyUp Airlines UNITED24 Boeing 737
Photo: SkyUp Airlines

UNITED24 livery now gracing the skies

SkyUp Airlines currently has 12 Boeing 737s in its fleet, with a further seven Boeing 737 MAX on order. One of its Boeing 737-800s, registered as UR-SQM, now sports a special UNITED24 livery, which was unveiled in November 2022.

Since then, the aircraft has carried over 9,000 passengers on 44 flights across 10 countries, including France, Portugal, Poland, and Egypt. The design incorporates QR codes on the fuselage and the cabin interior, enabling passengers to easily and quickly make a donation to UNITED24.

This is not the first time that famous faces have featured on inflight announcements. Frequent British Airways flyers may remember the airline’s 2017 safety video starring a host of celebrities, including Gordon Ramsay, Sir Ian McKellen, and Thandiwe Newton.

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Have you heard any other inflight announcements made by celebrities? Did it make you pay more attention to what was said? Share your experiences by commenting below.