EgyptAir to review films after Brotherhood grumble

EgyptAir is to review its in-flight entertainment following a mid-air complaint by a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s ruling Freedom and Justice Party.

The Star Alliance carrier said it would work to ensure that the films it shows respect “Egyptian values and customs” in the future, after the speaker of Egypt’s upper house of parliament Ahmed Fahmy felt a film being shown caused offence.

Fahmy, travelling in business class, confronted the EgyptAir crew and demanded that the films be turned off “politely and without a row”, which the airline said happened with “no annoyance or objection from the passengers”.

Local media in Cairo identified the film in question as ‘Arees Mama’, or ‘Mother’s Suitor’, starring Nelly Al-Masry Al-Youm.

EgyptAir has said it will now form a committee to review all films shown on its flight. CEO Roshdy Zakaria said the committee would remove films it deemed to “depart from Egyptian values and customs”.

In November last year, EgyptAir said it would allow its female staff to begin wearing Islamic headdresses while working, ending a long-running ban imposed under the rule of deposed former leader Hosni Mubarak.