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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
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| EgyptAir hijacking ends after man arrested at Larnaca airport – live | EgyptAir hijacking ends after man arrested at Larnaca airport – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.38pm BST | |
| 13:38 | |
| Gwyn Topham | |
| My colleague, Gwyn Topham, has written a piece about the security lessons of today’s hijack. Here’s a taste: | |
| Despite what appears to be the somewhat farcical nature of the EgyptAir hijacking, any aeroplane incident is liable to raise more concerns in the mind of the travelling public. | |
| The bombing of the Russian Metrojet airliner in October, and subsequent questions about the efficacy of Egypt’s aviation security, virtually ended the tourism industry in its Red Sea resorts. So Egyptian authorities will doubtless be mightily relieved that this hijacking does not have links to Isis-related terror. | |
| Should the hijacker prove to be armed, or to havesmuggled aboard the “suicide belt” that he was claiming to wear, there will be more difficult questions for airport authorities to answer. Nevertheless, at the time of writing, it looks unlikely that the hijacker had any weapons. | |
| It is so far unclear whether the hijacker made it to the A320’s flight deck (cockpit) or simply threatened crew and passengers in the cabin with his purported explosives. At a brief news conference, authorities stressed they had reacted as if the hijacker “represented the highest possible danger”. | |
| If nothing was brought on board, an incident like this, experts say, could have happened on any plane. In this scenario, Egypt’s security authorities have no case to answer so far. Philip Baum, author of Violence in the Skies: A history of aircraft hijacking and bombing, said: “Generally it’s up to the captain of the aircraft to determine whether they have someone with suicidal intent. Obviously first you’d try to overpower them if so. But if they feel it could be managed by following his demands, a landing without anyone being hurt, then that’s what you’d do. | |
| “It sounds like the 2006 Turkish Airlines hijack from Tirana to Istanbul: you had a lone hijacker claiming to carry explosives, but as it happened he had nothing on him.” | |
| 1.33pm BST | |
| 13:33 | |
| This slightly blurry Reuters photo purports to show the man who authorities believe is the hijacker as he left the plane. | |
| 1.28pm BST | |
| 13:28 | |
| More from Cypriot officials on the hijacker and his possible motives. | |
| #Cyprus foreign min general director Alexandros Zenon described hijacker of #EgyptAir plane as "psychologically unstable" | |
| 1.06pm BST | 1.06pm BST |
| 13:06 | 13:06 |
| Reuters has some more on the hijacker’s seemingly confused motives, quoting Egypt’s prime minister, Sherif Ismail: | Reuters has some more on the hijacker’s seemingly confused motives, quoting Egypt’s prime minister, Sherif Ismail: |
| 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. | 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. |
| 12.58pm BST | 12.58pm BST |
| 12:58 | 12:58 |
| EgyptAir has also now officially declared the hijack to be over. | EgyptAir has also now officially declared the hijack to be over. |
| Official sources at EGYPTAIR declared the release of all the hostages and the arrest of the hijacker. #EgyptAir | Official sources at EGYPTAIR declared the release of all the hostages and the arrest of the hijacker. #EgyptAir |
| 12.57pm BST | 12.57pm BST |
| 12:57 | 12:57 |
| Reuters is quoting the Egyptian prime minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, as saying the hijacker was Egyptian and had – among other demands – asked to meet EU officials and go to other airports. | Reuters is quoting the Egyptian prime minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, as saying the hijacker was Egyptian and had – among other demands – asked to meet EU officials and go to other airports. |
| Authorities would question the man to “ascertain (his) true motives”, Mahlab added. | Authorities would question the man to “ascertain (his) true motives”, Mahlab added. |
| 12.53pm BST | 12.53pm BST |
| 12:53 | 12:53 |
| Yet more confirmation, this from a Cyprus government spokesman. | Yet more confirmation, this from a Cyprus government spokesman. |
| The hijacker has just been arrested. | The hijacker has just been arrested. |
| 12.51pm BST | 12.51pm BST |
| 12:51 | 12:51 |
| Here’s video footage of the man escaping earlier from the cockpit window. | Here’s video footage of the man escaping earlier from the cockpit window. |
| 12.50pm BST | 12.50pm BST |
| 12:50 | 12:50 |
| More confirmation is coming of the end of the hijack, with Reuters saying a fifth person left the plane. Some reports are saying one person who left the plane had their hands in the air and was arrested. We did not see this on the live TV images. | More confirmation is coming of the end of the hijack, with Reuters saying a fifth person left the plane. Some reports are saying one person who left the plane had their hands in the air and was arrested. We did not see this on the live TV images. |
| 12.46pm BST | 12.46pm BST |
| 12:46 | 12:46 |
| Hijack over – Cypriot foreign ministry | Hijack over – Cypriot foreign ministry |
| No more details, but this is their official Twitter feed. | No more details, but this is their official Twitter feed. |
| Its over. The #hijacker arrested. #LarnacaAirport # Egyptair | Its over. The #hijacker arrested. #LarnacaAirport # Egyptair |
| 12.42pm BST | 12.42pm BST |
| 12:42 | 12:42 |
| Ruth Michaelson | Ruth Michaelson |
| As we await more movement from the plane, Ruth Michaelson in Cairo has this on the wider aviation security situation: | As we await more movement from the plane, Ruth Michaelson in Cairo has this on the wider aviation security situation: |
| Zack Gold, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and an expert on Egyptian security issues, said that whatever the hijacker’s motives, this incident reflects Egypt’s ongoing issues with airport security following the downing of Metrojet 7K9268 in October. | Zack Gold, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and an expert on Egyptian security issues, said that whatever the hijacker’s motives, this incident reflects Egypt’s ongoing issues with airport security following the downing of Metrojet 7K9268 in October. |
| “The reaction to this story suggests that five months after the Metrojet bombing many still aren’t satisfied with how Egypt improved its aviation security. And it is concerning that the civil aviation minister cannot rule out that the hijacker has a bomb, therefore admitting that a bomb could have gotten through the Alexandria airport. | “The reaction to this story suggests that five months after the Metrojet bombing many still aren’t satisfied with how Egypt improved its aviation security. And it is concerning that the civil aviation minister cannot rule out that the hijacker has a bomb, therefore admitting that a bomb could have gotten through the Alexandria airport. |
| “However, as the facts unfold and the incident appears to be one of a disturbed individual, the full record should note how professionally EgyptAir crew and pilots handled the situation and kept passengers safe,” he said. | “However, as the facts unfold and the incident appears to be one of a disturbed individual, the full record should note how professionally EgyptAir crew and pilots handled the situation and kept passengers safe,” he said. |
| 12.38pm BST | 12.38pm BST |
| 12:38 | 12:38 |
| Here’s a photo of the man climbing down from the cockpit window. | Here’s a photo of the man climbing down from the cockpit window. |
| 12.32pm BST | 12.32pm BST |
| 12:32 | 12:32 |
| Confirmation of what we’ve just seen from AFP. | Confirmation of what we’ve just seen from AFP. |
| #BREAKING At least four more people leave hijacked EgyptAir plane: AFP | #BREAKING At least four more people leave hijacked EgyptAir plane: AFP |
| 12.30pm BST | 12.30pm BST |
| 12:30 | 12:30 |
| TV pictures show people leaving plane | TV pictures show people leaving plane |
| Images from Cypriot TV have shown someone, possibly dressed in a uniform, climb from an open cockpit window of the plane and run away. Other images have just shown about three people leave the plane via the steps. It is not known if this means the siege is ending. | Images from Cypriot TV have shown someone, possibly dressed in a uniform, climb from an open cockpit window of the plane and run away. Other images have just shown about three people leave the plane via the steps. It is not known if this means the siege is ending. |
| 12.19pm BST | 12.19pm BST |
| 12:19 | 12:19 |
| UK officials still do not know for certain if any Britons are caught up in the hijack, according to David Cameron’s spokesman (quotes via PA): | UK officials still do not know for certain if any Britons are caught up in the hijack, according to David Cameron’s spokesman (quotes via PA): |
| Our diplomats on the ground are in touch with the Cypriot authorities. There is obviously speculation out there about numbers. At this stage we are working to establish what the facts actually are. | Our diplomats on the ground are in touch with the Cypriot authorities. There is obviously speculation out there about numbers. At this stage we are working to establish what the facts actually are. |