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Egypt plane hijacked

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 Hijacked planeBus taking passengers from the hijacked planePassengers from the hijacked plane

Latest images from the airport




AFP
Two men are photographed leaving the plane with their hand luggage
AFP
Passengers were transported by bus. Images of the scene appear to show people responding calmly


AFP
It is understood all the passengers now off the hijacked plane are being interviewed by authorities

Who remains on board hijacked EgyptAir plane?

Seven hostages remain aboard the plane, Egyptian civil aviation minister Sherif Fathy just said at a news conference.
They are the captain, a co-pilot, a female crew member, a security officer and three passengers.
Mr Fathy did not reveal the nationalities of the passengers nor the identity of the hijacker.


AFP
Most passengers have been allowed to disembark from the plane

Foreign Ministry denies calling hijacker 'an idiot'

Egypt's foreign ministry denies making comments to the Guardian, which earlier quoted officials as calling the hijacker "an idiot, not a terrorist".
Journalist Ruth Michaelson, who had quoted the officials, responded that "no one said it was the spokesperson".





Spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry denied issuing any statements or remarks to @guardian regarding hijacking of EgyptAir flight today
 

More detail on passenger numbers

EgyptAir reports on its website that 56 passengers, seven crew members and one "security member" were aboard the plane when it left Alexandria.
The airline previously tweeted that 81 passengers had been on board.
Egypt's civil aviation ministry has said the foreign passengers included eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch nationals, two Belgians, a French national, an Italian, two Greeks and one Syrian. It said three other foreigners were yet to be identified.


EgyptAir

News conference raises questions over whether all EgyptAir passengers are free

A news conference with Egypt's civil aviation minister has recently ended - but with as many new questions as answers, says the BBC's Jonny Dymond.
  • It had earlier appeared that at least all passengers had been freed, but it is now stated that three remain on board along with crew members
  • It was stated that no concrete demands have been made, but earlier reports clearly suggested the hijacker had asked to see his estranged wife
  • The hijacker is said to have requested to divert the plane to Turkey or Cyprus - but again it is not clear why he would want to go to Turkey if he wanted to see his former wife in Cyprus
It had appeared that this crisis was coming to an end, our correspondent says - but this news conference suggests that it is far from resolved.

'An idiot, not a terrorist' - Egyptian officials on hijacker

Cairo-based journalist Ruth Michaelson is quoting Egyptian officials as describing the hijacker as "an idiot".



"He's not a terrorist, he's an idiot." #EgyptAir

Not time to talk about security lapses - Egyptian minister

The aviation official holding the news conference responded angrily to a press question about possible security lapses.
He said: "Do you really think this is the time to talk about other issues?"

Hijacked plane passengers 'being interviewed'

A BBC fixer in Cyprus says no flights are arriving or departing, and all planes are being diverted. Check-in staff told her they have been told to divert passengers to buses outside the airport, who are being taken to Paphos on the south-west coast. All passengers on the hijacked plane have been taken away to be interviewed, she adds.

Explosives belt 'dealt with as if it was real' - Egyptian minister

The minister says they do not know whether the explosives belt the hijacker claimed to be wearing was real or not.
"We didn't know if it was real, but we dealt with it as if it was real," he said.
He will not name those still aboard the plane and states that the hijacker has so far made no concrete demands.

Picture: Egypt's aviation minister gives press conference



BreakingHostages 'still on board'

An Egyptian civil aviation offical tells a news conference, contrary to previous reports, that seven people, including three passengers, remain on board the hijacked plane.

'Pilot should not have followed hijacker's instructions' - aviation expert

Aviation expert David Learmont tells the BBC that the pilot should not have followed the hijacker's instructions.
We are seeing something extraordinary. That captain who accepted, just on being told that somebody on board had a suicide vest, should have had sufficient confidence in the security services to know that that was impossible and therefore he should not have followed the instructions of the hijacker."

David Learmont Aviation expert

'We didn't know what was going on'

A man wrongly identified in some reports as the hijacker has spoken to BBC Arabic. Dr Ibrahim Samaha, an Egyptian university professor, said that he was not the hijacker but was on board the plane.
He described what happened: "We did not know what was going on. We got aboard the plane and we were surprised that the crew took all our passports, which is unusual for a domestic flight. After a while we realised that the altitude is getting higher. Then we knew we were heading to Cyprus. At first the crew told us there was a problem with the plane, and only later we knew it was hijacked."

Travellers facing delays and cancellations

BBC producer Rebecca Bailey, who is at Larnaca airport, says the scene there at the moment is one of relative calm, although the departure board is full of news of cancellations, delays and diversions. A lot of people are standing around, waiting for more information, as more people continue to arrive at the airport with their baggage, she adds.

Picture: Freed passengers at Larnaca airport

Passengers from the hijacked plane congregate at Larnaca airport after being freed.


AFP

Government did 'everything to ensure passengers' safe release'

More from Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. Speaking at a joint news conference with the visiting president of the European Parliament Martin Schultz, he said the Cyprus government had done everything it could to ensure the safe release of the passengers, AFP is reporting.
Most are reported to have been released.

'All EgyptAir passengers freed'

The BBC's Ranyah Sabry in Cairo says it appears all the hostages have been freed, and the hijacker is now on his own in the plane. Egyptian officials are due to hold a news conference shortly.

EgyptAir releases emergency phone numbers

The airline tweets...





Emergency Call Center Within Egypt 0800 77 77 000 International +2 02 25989320-29

'Nothing to do with terrorism' - Cypriot president



AFP
"It is not something which has to do with terrorism," Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades tells reporters, according to Reuters.

Hijacker a 'love-sick romeo'

A Guardian correspondent tweets...





#cyprus pres nikos anastasiades confirms tt terrorism not behind hijacking but love-sick romeo. "it's 2 do w a woman!"

Five people 'wearing crew uniforms' released - AFP

At least five more people have been allowed to disembark from the plane, AFP news agency reports.
The group were wearing what appeared to be airline crew uniforms, a correspondent at the scene says.

'Ex-wife being taken to airport'

The hijacker has demanded to see his estranged wife, and she is going to the airport, reports say, citing Cypriot government and police sources. She is said to live in a village not far from the airport.

Breaking'More passengers seen leaving plane' - state broadcaster

Cypriot state broadcasters are reporting that more passengers have been seen leaving the hijacked plane, Reuters news agency says.

Map: Flight course from Egypt to Cyprus

Flight MS181 from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus, where it landed at 05:46 GMT.

Four British passengers - Alexandria airport chief

The head of Alexandria's Borg El Arab Airport, where the flight took off, has given a BBC reporter more details of the passengers on board the plane.
Eight Americans, four Britons, two Belgians, one Italian, four Dutch and 30 Egyptians were on board the flight, he says.
Earlier reports had said there were 81 passengers on board.

Hijacker 'wanted letter delivered to ex-wife'

Cyprus broadcasting (CYBC) is suggesting the hijacker may have personal motives, Reuters are reporting. The hijacker had an ex-wife in Cyprus, CYBC said. Witnesses said the hijacker threw a letter onto the airport tarmac, written in Arabic, asking for it to be delivered to her.

'Not looking like Islamic State group'

A Reuters correspondent tweets - "ISIS" refers to the Islamic State militant group...





TV says #EgyptAirHijack perpetrator seeking asylum in #Cyprus. Don't think he'll get it now. Not looking like an #ISIS attack #Egypt

Hijacker 'asked for translator'

News agency AFP are quoting reports that the hijacker has asked for a translator to press his demand.

EgyptAir hijacking: what we know

Here's a summary of what we know at this time:
  • A man hijacked an EgyptAir plane traveling from Alexandria to Cairo, forcing it to land in Cyprus. The plane began its journey in Saudi Arabia
  • Most passengers have been released but at least four foreign passengers and the crew remain on board
  • Egyptian state media has identified the hijacker as an Egyptian national
  • Cyprus state media says he has demanded asylum in the country
  • The hijacker was reportedly strapped with explosives, though this has not been confirmed


EPA

Hijacker 'demands asylum in Cyprus' - state radio

The hijacker is demanding asylum in Cyprus, according to state radio, AFP news agency reports.

EgyptAir passengers disembark

Dozens of passengers disembarked the plane at Larnaca, as this footage shows - leaving, according to the airline, only four foreign passengers and the crew on board.

UK Foreign Office in contact with Cypriot and Egyptian authorities

The UK Foreign Office releases a statement following reports that eight Britons were on board the hijacked plane.
A spokesman says: "We are in contact with the Cypriot and Egyptian authorities after a hijacked plane landed in Cyprus."
Earlier, EgyptAir said all passengers on board had been released, except the crew and four foreigners.





We are aware of reports of a plane hijacking & investigating urgently with the Egypt & Cyprus.For concerns about UK national: 0020227916000
 

Hijacker is 'Egyptian national'

The hijacker is from Egypt, the country's state news agency says. Other reports, however, have suggested the hijacker is a Libyan national.

Cyprus official: One hijacker on board



Video grab
A Cyprus foreign ministry official says it is believed that there is one hijacker on board the plane, Reuters news agency reports.
The official could not confirm whether the person was strapped with explosives. Earlier, Egypt's Civil Aviation ministry said the pilot had reported that he had been threatened by a passenger wearing a "suicide belt".

BreakingAirline: Foreigners and crew remain on plane

All passengers have been released except for the crew and four foreigners, EgyptAir has said.
Media reports say the foreigners are all Europeans. 

'No demands'

The BBC's Ranyah Sabry in Cairo says Egyptian officials say no demands or claims of responsibility have yet been made by the hijacker. She says it is unclear where he boarded the plane - whether at the last stop of Alexandria, or in Saudi Arabia where the plane originated.

'Up to 40' passengers freed from EgyptAir plane



Reuters
Between 30 and 40 passengers have been released from the hijacked plane, Cypriot state media report.

'Passengers leaving plane'

BBC Radio 5 Live
Reports indicate that some passengers are being freed from the plane.
A journalist at the airport has told BBC Radio 5 live that passengers have come down the stairs of the plane carrying their luggage. They boarded a bus back to the main terminal buildings.

Flight tracking website tweets...

Flightradar24 tweeted this picture showing the plane at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus.



The hijacked flight #MS181 is currently standing on ground at Larnaca Airport with transponder on
Source:bbc
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About Author Mohamed Abu 'l-Gharaniq

when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries.

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