TWO world records have been set on a British Airways flight in aid of Comic Relief.
A special red-nosed Boeing 767 aircraft climbed to 43,000ft where 128 passengers danced their way into the Guinness World Record book by performing the highest Harlem Shuffle.
Eighties pop stars – Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley and Kim Wilde – also performed the wolrd’s highest gig, which lasted 22 minutes and 36 seconds, beating James Blunt’s 15-minute performance at 42,080ft.
Magic 105.4 presenter Kim Wilde said: "I’m becoming an old hand at performing on public transport – in fact I’m getting a bit of a taste for it, so when British Airways asked me to play at 43,000ft I simply couldn’t resist! It was great fun and I’m proud to have been a part of it."
Celebrating 25 years of Comic Relief, Shane Richie led passengers to the BA lounge where they were entertained by Bananarama and Go West on the ground, before boarding the aircraft on Sunday. The event raised money for Flying Start – the airline’s charity partnership with Comic Relief – which helps transform the lives of disadvantaged children worldwide.
Tony added: "I’m very excited to be in the Guinness Book of Records, it’s quite an amazing feat to be part of. It’s really great that British Airways has put this event on, which has raised thousands of pounds for Flying Start.”
To keep the authenticity of the era, canapes inspired by BA’s 1988 menus were served in the lounge, and cabin crew donned original 80s Roland Klein uniforms.
BA chief executive Keith Williams said: "The 80s Gig in the Sky is just one of the great fundraising initiatives that our teams have been working on. Many congratulations to everyone involved for this fantastic achievement.”
Watch the action on www.youtube.com/flyingstart
