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| No One Hurt as EgyptAir Flight Is Forced to Cyprus in a Hijacking From the Heart | No One Hurt as EgyptAir Flight Is Forced to Cyprus in a Hijacking From the Heart |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| CAIRO — Getting out of Egypt was never going to be easy for Seif Eldin Mustafa, a fugitive Egyptian convict who has been on the run since he escaped from prison five years ago. But on Tuesday, he resorted to extraordinary measures. | |
| Claiming to be wearing an explosive vest, Mr. Mustafa, 59, commandeered an EgyptAir passenger airliner en route to Cairo from Alexandria, forced it to divert to Cyprus and set in motion a tense standoff lasting hours. He issued an incoherent set of demands that left officials alarmed, puzzled and touched before he gave himself up without hurting anyone. | Claiming to be wearing an explosive vest, Mr. Mustafa, 59, commandeered an EgyptAir passenger airliner en route to Cairo from Alexandria, forced it to divert to Cyprus and set in motion a tense standoff lasting hours. He issued an incoherent set of demands that left officials alarmed, puzzled and touched before he gave himself up without hurting anyone. |
| Mr. Mustafa wanted female inmates released from Egyptian prisons. He demanded to speak with officials from the European Union, ostensibly to obtain political asylum. | Mr. Mustafa wanted female inmates released from Egyptian prisons. He demanded to speak with officials from the European Union, ostensibly to obtain political asylum. |
| And he wanted to see his former wife, who lived in Cyprus. | And he wanted to see his former wife, who lived in Cyprus. |
| “Always, there is a woman,” the president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said in a brief moment of levity in the early stages of the crisis at Larnaca International Airport. | “Always, there is a woman,” the president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said in a brief moment of levity in the early stages of the crisis at Larnaca International Airport. |
| In the end, the crisis ended peacefully, but only after confused scenes, including a hostage leaping from a cockpit window. Mr. Mustafa, who it turned out did not have explosives, walked off the plane with his hands up. The Foreign Ministry of Cyprus described him as “psychologically unstable.” | In the end, the crisis ended peacefully, but only after confused scenes, including a hostage leaping from a cockpit window. Mr. Mustafa, who it turned out did not have explosives, walked off the plane with his hands up. The Foreign Ministry of Cyprus described him as “psychologically unstable.” |
| There has been heightened global sensitivity among travelers since last week’s devastating Islamic State attacks on Brussels, which began at that city’s airport. And the timing could scarcely have been worse for Egypt, whose tourism industry has not recovered from a terrorist bombing in October that brought down a Russian plane, killing 224 people. | There has been heightened global sensitivity among travelers since last week’s devastating Islamic State attacks on Brussels, which began at that city’s airport. And the timing could scarcely have been worse for Egypt, whose tourism industry has not recovered from a terrorist bombing in October that brought down a Russian plane, killing 224 people. |
| That disaster, which has precipitated a currency crisis in recent months, has brought a deep crisis of faith in Egypt’s ability to keep its airports and planes secure — fears that were briefly exacerbated early in Tuesday’s crisis when Egyptian officials identified the wrong man as the hijacker. | That disaster, which has precipitated a currency crisis in recent months, has brought a deep crisis of faith in Egypt’s ability to keep its airports and planes secure — fears that were briefly exacerbated early in Tuesday’s crisis when Egyptian officials identified the wrong man as the hijacker. |
| That man, a university professor named Ibrahim Samaha, called a BBC program to clarify that he was, in fact, a passenger on the hijacked plane — not the hijacker. | That man, a university professor named Ibrahim Samaha, called a BBC program to clarify that he was, in fact, a passenger on the hijacked plane — not the hijacker. |
| “We had no idea what was going on,” Mr. Samaha said of the flight. “After a while, we realized the altitude was 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 did we know it was hijacked.” | “We had no idea what was going on,” Mr. Samaha said of the flight. “After a while, we realized the altitude was 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 did we know it was hijacked.” |
| Egyptian officials took pains to point out that Mr. Mustafa was not linked to the Islamic State. Apparently seeking to deflect criticism of their security procedures, officials released surveillance footage that showed Mr. Mustafa being frisked by security officials as he passed through a security gate before boarding the flight. | Egyptian officials took pains to point out that Mr. Mustafa was not linked to the Islamic State. Apparently seeking to deflect criticism of their security procedures, officials released surveillance footage that showed Mr. Mustafa being frisked by security officials as he passed through a security gate before boarding the flight. |
| In fact, Mr. Mustafa was a desperado of another kind. Egyptian security officials said he had been on the run since 2011, when he was among hundreds of people who escaped prison during the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. He had been imprisoned on multiple charges of forgery and fraud, the officials said. | In fact, Mr. Mustafa was a desperado of another kind. Egyptian security officials said he had been on the run since 2011, when he was among hundreds of people who escaped prison during the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. He had been imprisoned on multiple charges of forgery and fraud, the officials said. |
| That meant Mr. Mustafa had been unable to leave Egypt to see his former wife, with whom he had lived in Cyprus until the 1990s. Moreover, his sense of confinement had been affecting him recently, neighbors at his home in an impoverished district of Helwan, south of Cairo, said Tuesday. | That meant Mr. Mustafa had been unable to leave Egypt to see his former wife, with whom he had lived in Cyprus until the 1990s. Moreover, his sense of confinement had been affecting him recently, neighbors at his home in an impoverished district of Helwan, south of Cairo, said Tuesday. |
| One neighbor, Nagat Hassanan, said that a few days ago, she had overheard Mr. Mustafa speaking on the telephone outside the ground floor, metal-gated home where he lives with a mentally disabled brother and a widowed sister. “He sounded frustrated, and he was saying, ‘I really want to leave, but my passport is blacklisted,’ ” she said. | |
| Early Tuesday, Mr. Mustafa boarded EgyptAir Flight 181, from Alexandria to Cairo. Some 72 people were on board; about half were Egyptian, with the remainder from seven other countries, including Belgium, Greece, Italy and the United States, Egyptian officials said. | Early Tuesday, Mr. Mustafa boarded EgyptAir Flight 181, from Alexandria to Cairo. Some 72 people were on board; about half were Egyptian, with the remainder from seven other countries, including Belgium, Greece, Italy and the United States, Egyptian officials said. |
| Mr. Mustafa looked uneasy, his fellow passengers said. After drinks were served, he pulled opened his jacket and showed flight attendants what he said was a suicide vest, and demanded to be taken to Greece, Cyprus or Turkey. | Mr. Mustafa looked uneasy, his fellow passengers said. After drinks were served, he pulled opened his jacket and showed flight attendants what he said was a suicide vest, and demanded to be taken to Greece, Cyprus or Turkey. |
| The ultimatum was issued quietly, and the crew tried to reassure passengers who had seen it. “Don’t worry, we’re in it together,” one passenger, Muhammad Gouda, said he was told by an attendant. But most passengers knew nothing of the hijacking until they noticed that, instead of landing in Cairo, they were heading north across the Mediterranean. | The ultimatum was issued quietly, and the crew tried to reassure passengers who had seen it. “Don’t worry, we’re in it together,” one passenger, Muhammad Gouda, said he was told by an attendant. But most passengers knew nothing of the hijacking until they noticed that, instead of landing in Cairo, they were heading north across the Mediterranean. |
| Then Mr. Mustafa demanded to see the passports of all of the passengers, and he sorted them by nationality. | Then Mr. Mustafa demanded to see the passports of all of the passengers, and he sorted them by nationality. |
| At first, after the plane landed at Larnaca, it looked as if the crisis might be resolved quickly. After sending his demands to negotiators on a piece of paper, Mr. Mustafa allowed dozens of passengers to walk free, many carrying their luggage. To those who remained, he spoke of his desire to free female prisoners in Egypt and to “change the government in Egypt,” one passenger said. | At first, after the plane landed at Larnaca, it looked as if the crisis might be resolved quickly. After sending his demands to negotiators on a piece of paper, Mr. Mustafa allowed dozens of passengers to walk free, many carrying their luggage. To those who remained, he spoke of his desire to free female prisoners in Egypt and to “change the government in Egypt,” one passenger said. |
| But alarmed Cypriot officials, noting what the foreign minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, called the “incoherent” nature of Mr. Mustafa’s demands, diverted all flights to Pahphos, the country’s second busiest airport, and deployed armed security personnel around Larnaca. Snipers moved into place. | But alarmed Cypriot officials, noting what the foreign minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, called the “incoherent” nature of Mr. Mustafa’s demands, diverted all flights to Pahphos, the country’s second busiest airport, and deployed armed security personnel around Larnaca. Snipers moved into place. |
| Inside the plane, at least seven hostages remained — crew members and five Western men selected by their passports: two Scotsmen, an Englishman, a Dutch businessman and an Italian. A surreal atmosphere took hold. | Inside the plane, at least seven hostages remained — crew members and five Western men selected by their passports: two Scotsmen, an Englishman, a Dutch businessman and an Italian. A surreal atmosphere took hold. |
| One of the hostages, Huub Helthuis, the Dutch businessman, said he had believed Mr. Mustafa posed a threat, but some of his fellow hostages had not. | One of the hostages, Huub Helthuis, the Dutch businessman, said he had believed Mr. Mustafa posed a threat, but some of his fellow hostages had not. |
| Speaking at a Cairo airport, Mr. Helthuis shared a photograph from his cellphone that showed a fellow hostage, who he said was English, grinning as he posed beside Mr. Mustafa, still wearing the belt, inside the plane. The photograph, which Mr. Helthuis said he took, quickly became a sensation on social media and news sites around the world. | Speaking at a Cairo airport, Mr. Helthuis shared a photograph from his cellphone that showed a fellow hostage, who he said was English, grinning as he posed beside Mr. Mustafa, still wearing the belt, inside the plane. The photograph, which Mr. Helthuis said he took, quickly became a sensation on social media and news sites around the world. |
| “Everything moved so quickly,” Mr. Helthuis said. “You couldn’t really think. It was hard to know how seriously to take him.” | “Everything moved so quickly,” Mr. Helthuis said. “You couldn’t really think. It was hard to know how seriously to take him.” |
| Outside, Mr. Mustafa’s former wife had arrived and helped officials persuade him to surrender. Cypriot officials said the former couple had five children, one a daughter who had died in a car crash. | Outside, Mr. Mustafa’s former wife had arrived and helped officials persuade him to surrender. Cypriot officials said the former couple had five children, one a daughter who had died in a car crash. |
| Then several of the remaining hostages fled, including one who climbed through a cockpit window, dropped onto the tarmac using a makeshift rope and sprinted to safety. Moments later, Mr. Mustafa emerged and surrendered. It was not clear at what point the authorities realized that he did not have explosives. | |
| “It’s over,” the Cypriot Foreign Ministry announced on Twitter at 2:41 p.m. | “It’s over,” the Cypriot Foreign Ministry announced on Twitter at 2:41 p.m. |
| Applause erupted in a Cairo airport late Tuesday night as the exhausted passengers and crew finally emerged, many pushing their way through dozens of journalists and television cameras. | Applause erupted in a Cairo airport late Tuesday night as the exhausted passengers and crew finally emerged, many pushing their way through dozens of journalists and television cameras. |
| “He was crazy, just crazy,” a teary flight attendant, clutching a rose, said before being whisked off by relatives. Others said they just wanted to rest. | “He was crazy, just crazy,” a teary flight attendant, clutching a rose, said before being whisked off by relatives. Others said they just wanted to rest. |
| “We are cooked,” said Mohammed Zidan, one of the passengers. “We want to sleep.” | “We are cooked,” said Mohammed Zidan, one of the passengers. “We want to sleep.” |
| Mr. Mustafa was taken into custody in Cyprus and was expected to be formally charged on Wednesday. At his home in Helawan, where the streets are unpaved and littered with trash, neighbors said his actions were motivated by desperation and poverty more than politics. | Mr. Mustafa was taken into custody in Cyprus and was expected to be formally charged on Wednesday. At his home in Helawan, where the streets are unpaved and littered with trash, neighbors said his actions were motivated by desperation and poverty more than politics. |
| “His family are just poor, helpless people,” said Suhair Hanafi, who runs a small store across the street from his home. “Just like everyone here.” | “His family are just poor, helpless people,” said Suhair Hanafi, who runs a small store across the street from his home. “Just like everyone here.” |