Egypt Air hijack: Jet lands at Larnaca airport, Cyprus
CAIRO: Cypriot police and Egyptian civil aviation authority have confirmed that an Egypt Air plane flying from Cairo to Alexandria was hijacked on Tuesday and diverted to Larnaca airport in Cyprus.
A statement released by the Egyptian aviation authority said that the MS181 is an Airbus and that it had 55 passengers on board and five crew members. A crisis team has been deployed to the airport.
Airport security sources said the passengers on board the flight included eight Britons and 10 Americans. Egypt Air said it had negotiated the release of all passengers on board the plane except for five foreigners and the crew. Cyprus state media said between 30-40 passengers were released from the plane.
Egyptian civil aviation and police sources say the plane was hijacked by one person, and that there are about 60 people on board. However a Cypriot official, on condition of anonymity under regulations, said there “seems like there’s more than one hijacker”. He added that there have been no demands other than that police vehicles move away from the aircraft.
An Egyptian civil aviation ministry statement said: “The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca.”
The Cyprus Foreign Ministry Secretary General told French TV that the hijacker has yet to make any demands.
A hijacker contacted the control tower at 8:30 am and the plane was given permission to land at 8:50 am, the police said.
