Egyptian airlines flight MS181, en route from Alexandria to Cairo, has been hijacked by a passenger, who said he had a suicide belt and forced the pilot to land in Larnaca Airport, Cyprus. There were reportedly 81 passengers and crew members on board the plane.
29 March 2016
The EgyptAir plane, which was previously hijacked and diverted to Cyprus, has reached its intended destination in Cairo.
The Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail says the hijacker’s motives were not clear. At one point he asked to meet with European Union officials, while he also mentioned that he would like to fly to another airport.
Ismail claimed the man was an Egyptian national and that he would be questioned to try and understand why he decided to hijack the plane.
"At some moments he asked to meet with a representative of the European Union and at other points he asked to go to another airport but there was nothing specific," he said.
The hijacker has emerged from the aircraft with his hands held up, Cyprus TV reports. According to the Foreign Ministry’s Twitter account, the stand-off is over and the man has been arrested.
Cypriot TV has aired footage of eight people climbing out of the EgyptAir plane. Only the hijacker is now believed to be inside.
The hijacker of Egyptian Airlines flight MS181 has demanded the Airbus A320 be refueled and allowed to proceed to Turkey, reports Sky News Arabia, with reference to an unidentified source from EgyptAir.
A representative of the Cyprus Foreign Ministry says the hijacker's motives remain unclear. The hijacker is reported to be Egyptian. Negotiations are still under way.
"What we have clarified ... is that its not about terrorism. It appears to be a person who is unstable, in an unstable psychological state and the issue is being handled accordingly," foreign ministry official Alexandros Zenon told journalists in a briefing.
More unconfirmed photos of the suspected hijacker are circulating on the web.
The departure of a New York-bound EgyptAir flight has been delayed in Cairo over security fears following the incident with the company’s hijacked aircraft currently remaining at the Larnaca Airport, Cyprus, security officials informed.
The Cyprus special police squad is getting ready to storm the hijacked Airbus, reports the Greek Proto Thema newspaper.
The Egyptian government has apologized to Ibrahim Samaha for mistakenly identifying the veterinary medicine professor as the EgyptAir plane hijacker.
Egyptian authorities are sending a plane to Cyprus to bring back the stranded passengers. Some of them were heading to Cairo to take connecting international flights.
Ibrahim Samaha has denied allegations he was the one who hijacked EgyptAir’s Airbus A320, claiming he was among the passengers on the plane and was released along with the rest of them.
The hijacker has asked for the release of female prisoners in Egypt, reports the Cyprus state broadcaster.
All but seven people on board the diverted aircraft have been released.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it’s too early to come to conclusions on the safety of Egyptian airports and restoration of flights between Egypt and Russia, until the incident with EgyptAir flight MS181 is investigated thoroughly.
The suspected hijacker, Ibrahim Samaha, is mentally unstable, his family claims. Samaha has so far been revealed to be a professor of veterinary medicine at Alexandria University with dual Egyptian/American citizenship. He is to also have a contract with Atlanta University in the US. The 50-year-old is a citizen of Alexandria.
The ex-wife of the hijacker is being summoned to Larnaca Airport to take part in negotiations.
“The EgyptAir hijacker is a professor of veterinary medicine at Alexandria University,” Reuters India cites the university’s website.
More passengers are seen leaving the EgyptAir plane in Larnaca, according to Cyprus media.
The hijacker of EgyptAir’s Airbus A320 initially wanted the pilot to fly to Turkey, Al Arabiya reports, but due to lack of fuel the aircraft was forced to land in Cyprus.
“We are aware of the situation, and we’re talking with local authorities, but we can’t confirm anything as yet,” the British embassy in Cyprus told RT in a telephone call.
The suspected hijacker Ibrahim Samaha is either Egyptian or a Libyan national, according to various sources.
The hijacker has asked for a political asylum from the Cyprus authorities, according to the Greek channel Skai.
From 15 to 20 people still remain on the hijacked EgyptAir aircraft, a Cyprus Foreign Ministry official said.
Restoring regular air travel between Russia and Egypt is “absolutely impossible” in the light of the highjacking of EgyptAir flight MS181, Russian Senator Frants Klintsevich says.
“It’s clear now that this is out of the question. Egypt is not ready to ensure the safety of our tourists,” he said.
Egyptian state television has released the name of the hijacker: Ibrahim Samaha. This is yet to be confirmed by authorities.
The Egyptian Aviation Ministry has confirmed the release of all passengers on hijacked EgyptAir flight MS181, except 10 foreigners and crewmembers.
Israeli fighter jets accompanied the highjacked Airbus A320 to ensure it didn’t enter Israeli airspace, according to the Greek ERT-1 TV channel.
Russian airline Aeroflot has canceled its Moscow to Larnaca flight, due to take off from Moscow’s Sheremetevo International Airport at 10:05 Moscow time, because of the EgyptAir hijacking in Larnaka.
EgyptAir says it has negotiated the release of everyone on board the hijacked plane except for five foreigners and crewmembers.
Between 30 and 40 passengers have been released from the hijacked EgyptAir passenger plane, which made a forced landing in Larnaca, Cyprus state media report.
Airport security sources maintain there are 10 Americans and eight Britons among the passengers remaining on the highjacked plane.
There are reportedly 55 passengers and seven crewmembers remaining on board the A320 aircraft.
The highjacker threatened the pilot, Omar al-Gammal, with a suicide belt. He has allegedly released all women, children and Egyptian citizens, local TV reports.
Larnaca International Airport has been closed, and ambulances are now on the scene.
The highjacked Airbus A320 belonging to EgyptAir landed at Larnaca Airport at 08:46 local time, with 81 passengers on board, Cypriot state television reports.