Watch What Happens When Egyptians Start Playing Music on an EgyptAir Flight

المزيكاتيا ف الطيارة – El Mazzikateya Plane Flashmobدايما لما تركب الطيارة تلاقي الناس جد جدا و كل واحد ف حاله و جو حزين كده.. قررنا نكسر الموضوع ده و نلعب مزيكا ف الطيارة و خلينا كل الطيارة تغني معانا Whenever you take a plane you find all passengers very formal, no one talk or even smile, we decided to break this mood with a music flashmob and everyone was singing with usتصوير: ايمن عارف – Video by Ayman Aref Saad Photographyتسجيل صوت مضيف الطيارة: سلمى ابو ضيف#اكتشف_مصر#Discover_Egyptلفيديوهات اكتر للمزيكاتيا – For more El Mazzikateya videoshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXif89NZmLjiQ-3asVFgqow Posted by ‎El Mazzikateya – المزيكاتيا‎ on Sunday, December 27, 2015

Tradition has it that the mere of mention of planes in the news most likely comes wrapped in devastation and tragedy. Otherwise, boarding a plane either translates to anxiety – if one is phobic of flying – or a boring trip where travelers remain confined to their seats, hoping they don’t end up next to a chatty passenger, or one with a whiny kid.

However, on Saturday night, after plenty of flight delays, a group of young Egyptian travelers decided to add a sprinkle of fun to a crowded domestic EgyptAir flight heading from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo. While all the passengers were seated and ready to fly, Khaled Senosi, 27-year-old events manager, pulled out his ney and started playing popular Egyptian folk songs. It wasn’t long before 28-year-old photojournalist Ahmed Hayman joined in on his daf. Soon afterwards, a fully booked airbus was singing along.

Together in 2012, Senosi and Hayman initiated El-Mazzikateya, a duo of street musicians who started playing across Egypt “in a time when the streets became too bleak and gloomy,” as Senosi describes it.

“Music should be free for people on the street, without having to buy a ticket or reserve a seat somewhere,” says Senosi. “Hayman and I started playing on the street, hoping to entertain passersby and alleviate the tension and worry they wear on their faces. Oftentimes, playing music on the streets invites conversation with strangers, or at other times, people just join in and sing with us.”

Despite both musicians being Cairo-based, they have taken their little delightful initiative to many cities across Egypt, including St. Catherine and Nuweiba in Sinai, Ras el-Barr, the Western Desert Oases, Port-Said, Mansoura and many others.

“As we tour Egypt, we are always keen to feature Egypt’s many traditional instruments that are in jeopardy of extinction,” added Senosi, accentuating the importance of preserving the country’s diverse culture and arts.

If you enjoyed El-Mazzikateya’s airplane music, be sure to check the rest of their music here.

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