After many hours of negotiations with the Cypriot authorities, the perpetrator, who, as he claimed, was wearing explosives, released the hostages he was holding and shortly after 14:35 got off the plane and was handed over to the Police. As it turned out after his arrest, the alleged explosives were phone cases.
Official sources at EGYPTAIR declared the release of all the hostages and the arrest of the hijacker. #EgyptAir- EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
Anastasiadis attack on the hijacking that caused comments
A variety of comments even in the international media provoked an attack by President Anastasiadis, regarding the hijacking that took place on an EgyptAir plane today, at Larnaca airport. Specifically, during the statements, after the meeting with the President of the European Parliament Martin Schultz, President Anastasiadis referred to the issue of hijacking and when asked if the incident happened to a woman, the President jokingly said, "He is always involved a woman".
15:26 Congratulations to all the services involved for the development with the end of the hijacking and the arrest of the perpetrator, expresses President Anastasiadis.
He wrote on twitter: "Congratulations to all services, the police and the Foreign Ministry, for the coordinated actions and the end of the hijacking".
Congratulations to all the services, the police and the Foreign Ministry for the coordinated actions and the end of the hijacking #EgyptAir- Nicos Anastasiades (nastAnastasiadesCY) March 29, 2016
The passenger selfie with the hijacker in Larnaca!
A photo of a passenger taking a selfie with the hijacker in Larnaca is published by the British Daily Mail. The passenger even seems to be smiling when he takes his photo.
It is noted that the perpetrator of the hijacking surrendered earlier today and, as it finally became known, the "explosives" he allegedly had around his waist were nothing more than cell phone covers.
15:15 Police firefighters are currently inside the aircraft and carrying out checks.
In the meantime, both the Larnaca airport and the MMAD headquarters in Nicosia still have crisis coordination centers. In Nicosia, the Chief of Police has been in charge from the very beginning, and he is constantly informed about the developments. There are the Deputy Chief of Police and the Assistant Chief of Operations.
15:05 An aircraft from Egypt is expected to arrive at Larnaca Airport in the next few hours to pick up the passengers and crew of Egyptair flight MSR 181.
14:45 The hijacker was the last to get off the plane and proceeded to the large hangar located at the airport. A police armor approached him and then the hijacker, raising his hands, handed himself over to the police, after throwing some objects at him, which were received by the Police and are being examined. Men from the Special Counter-Terrorism Squad surrounded him and put him in a vehicle, removing him from the scene.
14:44 A government spokesman confirmed the arrest of the airline.
The hijacker has just been arrested.- NikosChristodoulides (@Christodulides) March 29, 2016
14:40 Police arrested a man. It may be the hijacker.
14:37 All the occupants of the aircraft got off. Police officers immediately ran and picked them up. The hijacker is said to be still inside the plane.
14:24 According to television images, one of the passengers jumped out of a cockpit window. Seconds before three people came out of the door and went down the stairs. Immediately police officers ran and picked them up.
The #EgyptAir flight was diverted to Cyprus this morning following the hijacking. pic.twitter.com/iGRNz9oRNo- Good Morning America (@GMA) March 29, 2016
WATCH: Hostages run off hijacked #EgyptAir plane in Cyprus, where the hijacker has been arrested. https://t.co/4U4ZLAVeK7- Good Morning America (@GMA) March 29, 2016
14:23 One of the passengers jumped out of a cockpit window.
14:17 The Ministerial Crisis Management Team was activated from the first moment to manage the hijacking on flight MSR 181 from Alexandria to Cairo (domestic flight) at Larnaca airport.
The situation is as follows at 14:00 pm:
- This is not about terrorism. This is an individual energy of a person with an unstable psychological state.
- Nevertheless, the Authorities of the Republic take very seriously the actions of the hijacker in order to save all the passengers and the crew. There are 3 passengers and 5 crew members on the plane. All others have been released.
- A special police team, trained in negotiations, negotiates with the hijacker in order to persuade him to surrender
- Authorities have already provided the required care to the released passengers and there is already communication with the competent consular authorities of third countries
- It is pointed out that despite the information coming from the media, no facilities have been evacuated inside or near the airport.
14:12 "Person of unstable situation" the hijacker, said on state television the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexandros Zenon, He stated that the negotiations of the Police continue, emphasizing that the motives of the perpetrator have not been clarified yet.
He said that official announcements will be made after the end of the situation.
14:08 All eight flights to Paphos International Airport, which were to arrive at Larnaca airport, landed, according to Hermes Airport spokesman Cyprus Hatziathanassiou, who said one flight had departed from Munich, another from Aegean Airlines. and instead of Larnaca he landed in Paphos.
13:55 Only patrols and police are now in the Mackenzie area, which has been evacuated.
13:50 The Cypriot, ex-wife of the hijacker of Arab origin, is at the airport and is giving a statement, according to the latest information from the media by the Police.
The hijacker gave a letter in Arabic, which is translated.
According to the Police, 3 passengers and 4 crew members remain on the plane while the rest of the passengers were transported to the old Larnaca airport. The aircraft had a total of 56 passengers and 16 crew members as well as an air marshall.
13:44 The data is constantly changing. Newer information now speaks of the existence of more than one hijacker.
13:34 Police are evacuating restaurants and establishments in the Mackenzie area within a one-kilometer radius of the airport.
13:30 Police further removed journalists and TV crews from the area. He asked them to move another 500 meters further.
13:14 Two C-130s of the Egyptian Air Force departed from Egypt for Cyprus. They are expected to land at Paphos Airport to pick up passengers on Egyptair flight MS181.
13:05 Newer information indicates that five crew members (including the captain) and two British passengers are still being held hostage on the aircraft.
13:02 Meanwhile, at Larnaca airport, authorities continue to translate the letter dropped by the hijacker to see who it is. According to information, this is a four-page letter.
13:00 The luggage of the released passengers is checked by police pyrotechnicians. The plane was carrying passengers of various nationalities, including Israelis, British, Dutch and Americans, as well as a XNUMX-member crew.
12:57 Egyptian authorities have clarified that the hijacker is of Egyptian nationality and his name is Saif El Di Mustafa. He is an opponent of the El Sisi government and is reportedly a former member of the Egyptian army.
12:53 The hijacking of Egyptair's Airbus A320 seems to be politically motivated
12:49 The hijacker is reportedly a former member of the Egyptian security forces. Among the demands he has made is the release of people from Egyptian prisons, mainly women. He asked to speak with an EU representative, while the Egyptian authorities did not discuss the issue of release of people from prisons.
12:39 The Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation recently stated that there are seven more hostages on the plane. Egypt sends another plane to pick up released passengers
12:36 The identity of the hijacker is also confused, as Egyptian media report that it is Seyfeddin Mustafa, a university professor in Cairo. However, other international media outlets such as CNN report that his name is Ibrahim Zamaha.
However, the professor of Veterinary Dr. Ibrahim Zamaha, who was alleged to be the hijacker, told the BBC Arabic that he had nothing to do with the hijacking and said he was just a passenger. As he said, the passengers initially did not understand the hijacking, the crew took their passports and noticed that the plane was moving upwards instead of starting the descent to Cairo. They were then informed that they were heading to Cyprus.
Dr. Ibrahim Smaha talked to @BBCArabic denied that he had anything to do with the hijacking he is just a passenger pic.twitter.com/PjFJNQrfBv- Majd Yousef (@Mayousef) March 29, 2016
12:31 Information states that the hijacker, who is 59 years old, lived in Cyprus until 1994.
12:23 According to officials at the Egyptian embassy in Nicosia, the hijacker is wearing explosives.
12:19 Police asked foreign media to stop broadcasting live images from Larnaca airport.
12:16 The police confirm the existence of a letter from the hijacker, however, they do not confirm either his identity or any requests he has made. At this time the letter written in Arabic is being translated.
12:15 Confusion over how many people eventually boarded Egyptair's Airbus. According to police sources, the hijacker is currently holding a total of 19 people hostage on the plane. The count of the released passengers showed that 54 people are out of the aircraft. The company itself said in a statement that Flight MS181 had 55 passengers, a seven-member crew, an Egyptair security guard and eight additional crew members.
11:59 The Prime Minister of Egypt and the Minister of Civil Aviation of the country are in the crisis management center of the Egyptian Ministry and are informed about the developments regarding the condition of an Egypt Air aircraft at Larnaca airport. Egyptair Releases Toll Free Phone Numbers for MS181 Passenger Families
11:49 So far, according to the spokesperson of Hermes Press, Cyprus Chatziathanassiou, three of the flights scheduled to arrive at Larnaca Airport have arrived at Paphos Airport. Mr. Hatziathanassiou stated that four more flights are expected during the day.
Besides, at a later stage, as he said, if Larnaca airport is not opened, then some flights that would depart from Larnaca will be arranged to depart from Paphos airport.
11:40 Mustafa Barki, a member of the Egyptian Parliament, told the British newspaper "Independent" that the hijacker Ibrahim Zamaha is a visiting professor at the University of Atlanta, USA.
11:36 "Regarding the situation regarding the hijacking of EgyptAir flight MSR 181 and the aircraft changed course and landed at Larnaca International Airport, the competent crisis management plans of the Republic of Cyprus have been implemented since the beginning of the incident," the statement said. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is added that a Ministerial Committee is handling the situation at the National Crisis Center, located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Direct communication has also been established between the Center and the Egyptian authorities.
11:33 The Cypriot ex-wife of the hijacker is 51 years old and the mother of five children aged 20 to 31 years.
11:31 New information indicates that in addition to the hijacker, two crew members (one of whom is the captain) and the five European passengers remain inside the aircraft. The other five crew members disembarked along with the other passengers. The disembarkation took place around 11:20.
11:18 So far there is no official confirmation of the motives of the hijacker who took Egyptair flight MS181, which landed at Larnaca airport, nor whether he is wearing explosives, while at the same time the Cypriot authorities assure that all necessary measures are being taken. meters.
In his statements, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexandros Zenon, said that about 50-57 people have been allowed to leave the aircraft and "we are trying to establish contact with the person who carried out the hijacking". Citing information, the Foreign Ministry said that there are still around 15-20 people on board, "but I can not confirm it," he added.
11:17 Egyptian media publish a photo of the perpetrator of the hijacking.
11:16 According to information, the ex-wife of the hijacker is expected to be at the airport accompanied by police officers.
11:14 The presence of the Police is very discreet.
11:12 Among the passengers released by the hijacker are two Metropolitans of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. These are the metropolitans of Ioannina, Damaskinos and Mitrias Nikodimos.
11:10 A few minutes ago, the Police removed the journalists at Larnaca airport by fifty meters.
11:09 Meanwhile, all the passengers of the Egyptian Airlines flight are transferred to the old Larnaca airport.
11:08 The hijacker talks to the Airport Control Tower, who then contacts the Crisis Center.
11:07 The hijacking of the Egyptair aircraft has nothing to do with terrorism, the President of the Republic clarified.
11:05 "I hope that those involved will experience an effective and professional way of managing the situation," said European Parliament President Martin Schultz shortly after his meeting with President Anastasiadis.
10:49 The perpetrator of the hijacking is Ibrahim Zamaha, who is said to be Egyptian.
10:46 A few minutes ago, the hijacker dropped a letter from the plane, asking the Police to hand it over to his ex-wife, who is Cypriot. Information states that his ex-wife is currently being transported to the airport.
10:41 Hermes Airports is arranging for scheduled flights to arrive at Larnaca Airport to Paphos Airport.
According to Hermes, at a later stage and if the issue is not resolved and Larnaca airport is not opened, then some flights departing from Larnaca will be arranged to depart from Paphos airport.
10:40 The Civil Defense is ready to evacuate the airport. The Deputy Commander of Civil Defense, Lucas Hadjimichael, recently told philenews that the people who got off the plane are under the responsibility of Hermes Airports and are expected to go to their destination later, depending on the outcome of the hijacking.
"The Civil Defense is ready to send its forces to evacuate the airport if this is deemed necessary, but the possibility of evacuating the airport at this time is remote," he added.
10:33 Israeli media report that the hijacker allegedly sought or is seeking political asylum in Cyprus.
10:31 According to information, the hijacker is a Libyan
10:29 The President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, had a telephone conversation with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi. This is stated in a tweet by the government spokesman.
#Now: Telephone conversation of #Cyprus President NastAnastasiadesCY and President of #Egypt #Yes Yes- NikosChristodoulides (@Christodulides) March 29, 2016
10:17 For erotic reasons it seems that the hijacking took place, as the hijacker asks to send a letter to Cyprus.
10:15 Recent reports indicate that three Britons, one Italian and one Irishman, are all being held hostage.
10:13 The passengers boarded an airport bus and headed for the main building.
10:12 The two fire trucks remain in the area where the aircraft is parked, while the area remains blocked.
10:08 All but five non-Arab passengers and the seven-member crew were reportedly released.
09:58 A passenger who got off the plane spoke about a hijacker who is wearing explosives.
EgyptAir statement on # MS181: a passenger claimed to have an explosive belt and demanded to be flown to Larnaca- AviationSafety (@AviationSafety) March 29, 2016
09:54 The disembarkation of the passengers began. About 20 people were released.
09:51 At this time a bus is next to the plane.
09:49 Three flights heading to Larnaca Airport, were instructed a few minutes ago to head to Paphos Airport. These are Aegean flights from Athens, Germania flight from Munich and Greek Air Force C-130 flight from Elefsina.
09:44 According to official figures from Egyptair, there are 55 passengers and a seven-member crew on board.
09:42 Arrangements are being made to free the women and children.
09:40 According to information, the hijacker demands the removal of the police forces gathered at Larnaca airport
Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair- EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
09:39 The Aegean flight from Athens as well as the Hellenic Air Force flight to Larnaca are operating normally, however the data may change from minute to minute.
09:18 Two crisis handling centers have been set up by the Police, one at Larnaca airport and one at MMAD.
09:17 The Police was put on high alert and a wide-ranging meeting has already been convened under the Minister of Public Order, Ionas Nikolaou. The President of the Republic is aware of the developments.
According to the Police, the Airport Control Tower gave the information at 8:30 to the Police about a plane coming from Egypt which was under hijacking. The plane landed at around 9-XNUMX at Larnaca Airport, where there is a strong police force.
09:10 It should be noted that no landings of other aircraft are expected at Larnaca airport for the next hour or so - at 10:00 a military aircraft is expected to land from Elefsina and an Aegean flight from Athens.
The Aegean flight to Thessaloniki that would depart at 08:35, as well as the Wizz flight to Bucharest, are on hold.
09:04 Egyptair Airbus A320-232 with registration number SU-GCB, took off at 08:06 flying MSR 181, from Alexandria, Brog El Arab Airport, Egypt to Cairo International Airport, where it was expected to land on 09:07. Instead the plane headed to Larnaca airport flying at a relatively very low altitude, where it landed at around 08:50.
09:02 Information speaks of a hijacker, however so far he has not made any request.
09:00 At this time, the plane is in the special security area at the old airport near the Cyprus Airways hangar next to the kilns (Mackenzie Coast area).
Sources: Phileleftheros / Newsbeast / USA Today / The Guardian
Photos: Giannis Nisiotis, Andreas Lazarou