An internal EgyptAir flight going from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked recently and forced to land in Larnaca, Cyprus, by a passenger who was reportedly wearing an explosive belt.
The plane took off from the Alexandria airport at at 6:36 a.m. local time and was scheduled to land in Cairo at 7:15 a.m.
Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
The airplane, an Airbus A320, was loaded with 56 passengers and the crew members, EgyptAir declares in a press release.
"The aircraft is an Airbus A320 with 56 pax onboard in addition to seven crew members and one EgyptAir security member," the airline's Facebook page reads.
The airline notes that the Airbus A320 landed safely at Larnaca, which was temporarily closed. All the incoming flights were diverted to the international airport at Paphos.
According to the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry, the hijacker told the pilot of flight MS181 that he was carrying an explosive belt.
After the plane landed in Cyprus, the local authorities deployed anti-terrorist forces at the airport. The authorities started negotiations with the hijacker, and the update from EgyptAir is encouraging.
Negotiations with the Hijacker result in the release of all the passengers, except the crew and four foreigners. — EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
There is no information about the nationality of the four remaining hostages.
Reports indicate that the hijacker is a Libyan man in his 20s. It should be mentioned that the man asked for political asylum and a translator.
This is not the first incident to strike Egyptian airlines. Militant attacks multiplied since 2013, hindering the country's efforts to be a magnet for investors. In October last year, the Islamic State terrorist group brought down a Metrojet Russian passenger plane over Sinai.
Local authorities avoided to give any official information about what caused the Metrojet plane to crash. As a result of the incident, Russian authorities temporarily suspended all flights to Egypt, raising airborne alert levels.
Airport security around the world is on its toes after a recent bombing attack hit Brussels' main airport last week.
Anonymous sources from the Cypriot Ministry of Justice pointed out that the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Minister and officials from the police force are holding a crisis meeting. The hijack is reportedly not a terrorist act, but a desperate one stemming from a personal dispute. The hijacker apparently resorted to such extremes as part of a dispute with his ex-wife, a Cypriot.
We will keep you posted as events unfold.
