This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/mar/29/egyptair-hijack-plane-from-alexandria-to-cairo-lands-in-cyprus-live
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| EgyptAir hijack: plane from Alexandria to Cairo lands in Cyprus – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.28am BST | |
| 08:28 | |
| TV images are now showing passengers leave the aircraft and get onto airport buses. In a tweeted update, EgyptAir says those still on board are the crew and four foreign nationals, rather than five. | |
| تعديل: المتبقي علي متن الطائرة طاقمها و ٤ اجانب. | |
| 8.25am BST | |
| 08:25 | |
| Another image of the plane at Larnaca shows steps being brought up to it. | |
| 8.23am BST | |
| 08:23 | |
| More on the news of most passengers being released from Helena Smith: | |
| #cyprus #egypt air hikacking: as many as 50 passengers (of #egyptian nationality) freed, put on buses, taken 2 terminals at #larnaka airport | |
| 8.22am BST | |
| 08:22 | |
| Almost all passengers now released, says EgyptAir | |
| A tweet from EgyptAir says that following negotiations with the hijacker, everyone has been freed from the plane apart from the cabin crew and five foreign nationals. | |
| التصريح الصحفي 2القاهرة 29 مارس 2016المفاوضات مع المختطف تسفر عن الإفراج عن جميع ركاب الطائرة فيما عدا طاقم الطائرة وخمس أجانب. | |
| 8.19am BST | |
| 08:19 | |
| Reuters has more news of the eight Briton and 10 Americans reportedly among the passengers, quoting three airport security sources as saying this is the case. | |
| 8.16am BST | |
| 08:16 | |
| The first photos of the hijacked plane are arriving. | |
| 8.13am BST | |
| 08:13 | |
| UK and US nationals reportedly among those on hijacked plane | |
| A Reuters reporter has tweeted this, citing unnamed Egyptian reports as saying there are eight UK citizens and 10 US nationals on the plane. This has yet to be confirmed. | |
| #Egypt media says 10 #US citizens, 8 Brits on #hijacked plane. Egyptian passengers have been freed #Cyprus | |
| 8.11am BST | |
| 08:11 | |
| Another brief update: a senior official from Cyprus’s foreign ministry has told TV stations that the hijacker has yet to make any demands, according to Reuters. | |
| Helena Smith, meanwhile, has this: | |
| #cyprus #egypt air hijacking: hijacker (s) reportedly demanding tt police presence b removed from #larnaka airport | |
| 8.03am BST | |
| 08:03 | |
| Associated Press is also now saying that the hijacker has allowed women and children to leave the plane, and that some are now disembarking. | |
| 8.00am BST | |
| 08:00 | |
| More from Helena Smith in Cyprus: | |
| #cyprus officials now telling me in #nicosia tt negotiations likely 2 start with hikacker(s) of #egyptair A320 grounded at #larnaka | |
| 7.58am BST | |
| 07:58 | |
| An aviation Twitter feed has posted what it says is a (distant) photograph of the hijacked plane on the ground. | |
| BREAKING First picture of hijacked #Egyptair A320 at Larcana airport https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI pic.twitter.com/TgtVTcTOp2 | |
| 7.57am BST | |
| 07:57 | |
| According to an alert from Reuters, the hijack took place when the pilot of the plane was threatened by a passenger who appeared to have a suicide bomb belt, according to Egypt’s aviation ministry. | |
| It said the pilot, named as Omar al-Gammal, told authorities he was threatened by the passenger and forced to land in Larnaca. | |
| Updated | |
| at 8.05am BST | |
| 7.54am BST | 7.54am BST |
| 07:54 | 07:54 |
| EgyptAir confirms the hijack | EgyptAir confirms the hijack |
| The airline has confirmed that the plane has been hijacked. | The airline has confirmed that the plane has been hijacked. |
| Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair | Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair |
| 7.53am BST | 7.53am BST |
| 07:53 | 07:53 |
| My colleague, Helena Smith, is in Cyprus, and more details about the situation. | My colleague, Helena Smith, is in Cyprus, and more details about the situation. |
| #cyprus #egypt air hijack: ministers of defence, foreign affairs and transport have rushed 2 larnaka airport now declared closed | #cyprus #egypt air hijack: ministers of defence, foreign affairs and transport have rushed 2 larnaka airport now declared closed |
| #cyprus #egypt air hijacking: reports that hijacker (s) has allowed women & children w egyptian nationality off plane at #larnaka airport | #cyprus #egypt air hijacking: reports that hijacker (s) has allowed women & children w egyptian nationality off plane at #larnaka airport |
| #cyprus #egypt air hijacking: unclear whether there r 81 or 65 passengers on 7 crew-member A320 which landed #larnaka at 8:46 | #cyprus #egypt air hijacking: unclear whether there r 81 or 65 passengers on 7 crew-member A320 which landed #larnaka at 8:46 |
| 7.51am BST | 7.51am BST |
| 07:51 | 07:51 |
| The Cyprus Mail website quoted a Cyprus police spokesman, Andreas Angelides, as saying one armed hijacker had taken control of the Airbus A320 before it diverted to Larnaca. | |
| Angelides was quoted as saying there was no news yet about whether the hijacker was demanding anything specific, or if he was a member of an organisation. | Angelides was quoted as saying there was no news yet about whether the hijacker was demanding anything specific, or if he was a member of an organisation. |
| Updated | |
| at 7.57am BST | |
| 7.46am BST | 7.46am BST |
| 07:46 | 07:46 |
| A screengrab from the Flightradar24 website shows the tracked movement of the flight to Cyprus. | A screengrab from the Flightradar24 website shows the tracked movement of the flight to Cyprus. |
| 7.40am BST | 7.40am BST |
| 07:40 | 07:40 |
| An EgyptAir plane has been hijacked flying from Alexandria to Cairo, and has landed in Cyprus, according to officials in Egypt and Cyprus. | An EgyptAir plane has been hijacked flying from Alexandria to Cairo, and has landed in Cyprus, according to officials in Egypt and Cyprus. |
| A Cypriot official told AP the plane landed at Larnaca airport, and that a suspected bomb is on board. | |
| Associated Press quoted another Cypriot official as saying it appeared there was more than one hijacker on the plane. The official said there had been no demands other than that police vehicles moved away from the aircraft. | Associated Press quoted another Cypriot official as saying it appeared there was more than one hijacker on the plane. The official said there had been no demands other than that police vehicles moved away from the aircraft. |
| A statement from Egypt’s aviation authority said the flight, MS181, is an Airbus and has 55 passengers on board and five crew members. | A statement from Egypt’s aviation authority said the flight, MS181, is an Airbus and has 55 passengers on board and five crew members. |
| We will have more details as soon as they come. | We will have more details as soon as they come. |
| Updated | |
| at 7.58am BST |