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EgyptAir Flight Hijacked and Diverted to Cyprus EgyptAir Hijacking Suspect Arrested in Cyprus
(35 minutes later)
CAIRO — A man claiming to be wearing an explosive vest hijacked an EgyptAir plane on Tuesday, forcing it to land in Larnaca, on the southern coast of Cyprus. CAIRO — A man claiming to be wearing an explosive vest hijacked an EgyptAir plane on Tuesday, forcing it to land in Larnaca, on the southern coast of Cyprus, before he was arrested, according to the Cypriot government.
Most of the 56 passengers were released, hours after the flight was diverted while en route to Cairo from Alexandria. But a tense standoff ensued for four hours as the plane stayed on the tarmac. Three passengers and five crew members — including the pilot and co-pilot — were still on board, along with the hijacker, EgyptAir said in a Facebook post at 12:15 p.m. “It’s over,” the Cypriot Foreign Ministry announced at 2:41 p.m.
The hijacker, identified by Cypriot and Egyptian officials as Seif El Din Mustafa, told the pilot that he was wearing a suicide belt and threatened to detonate it. His affiliation and motivation were unclear. Most of the 56 passengers were released after the flight was diverted while en route to Cairo from Alexandria. But a tense standoff ensued for hours as the plane stayed on the tarmac, with the hijacker and seven or eight other people still on board. They were eventually freed, and shortly afterward, the hijacker surrendered.
The president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, told reporters that it was “not something that has to do with terrorism,” and the Cypriot government’s crisis management team said in a statement at 2 p.m.: “This is not an incident of terrorism. It is the action of an individual in unstable psychological condition.” The hijacker, identified by Cypriot and Egyptian officials as Seif Eldin Mustafa, told the pilot that he was wearing a suicide belt and threatened to detonate it. His affiliation and motivation were unclear.
But some Cypriot state media reports said the man had given negotiators a letter demanding the release of prisoners from Egyptian jails, suggesting a political motivation.But some Cypriot state media reports said the man had given negotiators a letter demanding the release of prisoners from Egyptian jails, suggesting a political motivation.
Conflicting reports about the crisis from Egyptian officials — who for a time mistakenly identified a specific passenger as the hijacker — raised further questions about Egypt’s aviation security abilities, six months after a terrorist bomb brought down a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board. Conflicting reports about the crisis from Egyptian officials — who for a time mistakenly identified another passenger as the hijacker — raised further questions about Egypt’s aviation security abilities, six months after a bomb brought down a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.
Citizens of at least eight countries, including the United States and Italy, had been on board, but Egyptian officials declined to identify the nationalities of those still being held. The passenger who had been mistakenly identified as the hijacker, Ibrahim Samaha, a professor from the University of Alexandria, later called the BBC to say that he had been a victim.
“The situation is ongoing,” the Cypriot ministry of foreign affairs said on Twitter, identifying the hijacker as Mr. Mustafa. Egyptian officials said that Mr. Mustafa was an Egyptian national. “We had no idea what was going one,” Mr. Samaha said. “After awhile, 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.”
Cypriot and Egyptian officials had initially identified the hijacker as Ibrahim Samaha, a professor from the University of Alexandria. Mr. Samaha later called the BBC to say that he had been a passenger on the plane. In a statement on its Facebook page, EgyptAir identified the flight as MS181 and said it left Borg el-Arab Airport in Alexandria at 6.30 a.m, bound for Cairo. It was carrying 56 passengers, seven crew members and one EgyptAir security officer. (The airline had said earlier that there had been 81 people on the plane.)
“We had no idea what was going one,” Mr. Samaha said. “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.” Some news outlets posted a picture of a man standing in the aisle of the plane, whom they identified as the hijacker.
In a statement on its Facebook page, EgyptAir identified the flight as MS181 and said it left Borg el-Arab airport in Alexandria at 6.30 a.m, bound for Cairo. It was carrying 56 passengers, 7 crew members and one EgyptAir security officer. (The airline had said earlier that there had been 81 people on the plane.)
The hostages remaining on the plane included two pilots, an attendant and the security officer, officials said. Some news outlets posted a picture of a man standing in the aisle of the plane, whom they identified as the hijacker.
Cypriot officials said the hijacker had initially demanded that the plane fly to Turkey but agreed to let it land in Cyprus after pilots told him they did not have enough fuel for a longer flight.Cypriot officials said the hijacker had initially demanded that the plane fly to Turkey but agreed to let it land in Cyprus after pilots told him they did not have enough fuel for a longer flight.
Hosni Hassan, a senior official at Borg el-Arab Airport, said by telephone that a majority of the passengers were Egyptian but that the passengers also included citizens from seven other countries, including Belgium, Greece, Italy and the United States.Hosni Hassan, a senior official at Borg el-Arab Airport, said by telephone that a majority of the passengers were Egyptian but that the passengers also included citizens from seven other countries, including Belgium, Greece, Italy and the United States.
The crisis had appeared to be coming to an early conclusion after the hijacker allowed 56 people to walk free from the plane. Video from the airport showed passengers walking down the stairs from the plane, an Airbus A320, and walking a short distance across the tarmac at Larnaca International Airport before boarding a bus. Many were walking calmly and carrying their luggage.The crisis had appeared to be coming to an early conclusion after the hijacker allowed 56 people to walk free from the plane. Video from the airport showed passengers walking down the stairs from the plane, an Airbus A320, and walking a short distance across the tarmac at Larnaca International Airport before boarding a bus. Many were walking calmly and carrying their luggage.
But six hours later, the hostage crisis appeared to be deepening amid reports that police at the Larnaca airport had moved back news crews at the airport and cleared nearby restaurants. Security forces took positions around the airport, and snipers were in place.But six hours later, the hostage crisis appeared to be deepening amid reports that police at the Larnaca airport had moved back news crews at the airport and cleared nearby restaurants. Security forces took positions around the airport, and snipers were in place.
Aviation security in Egypt has been under sharp scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed shortly after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh on Oct. 31, killing all 224 on board.Aviation security in Egypt has been under sharp scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed shortly after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh on Oct. 31, killing all 224 on board.
A local affiliate of the Islamic State said it had brought down that plane with a bomb. Russia and Egypt attributed the crash to terrorism, although an Egyptian-led investigation has yet to publish its findings.A local affiliate of the Islamic State said it had brought down that plane with a bomb. Russia and Egypt attributed the crash to terrorism, although an Egyptian-led investigation has yet to publish its findings.