Hijackers threatens to detonate explosives
Dileep Thekkethil
Early reports have confirmed that unidentified hijackers have taken control over an Egyptian airliner on Tuesday and diverted it to Larnaca airport on the south cost of Cyprus.
According to police, the hijackers who are yet to confirm their identity, contacted the air traffic control tower at 8.30 am, 05.30 GMT and has landed at 8.50 am after the control tower gave permission.
As of now, the hijackers haven’t made any demands, but it is believed that at least one hijacker is heavily armed and there are also reports about a possible bomb on board the aircraft.
The EgyptAir plane bound that took off from Alexandria was bound for Cairo carrying 55 passengers on board and seven crew members. Earlier reports had suggested that there are about 80 passengers in the flight.
The police have deployed a crisis team at the airport ready to take swift actions as orders come.
The Egypt’s civil aviation ministry said that the pilot of the plane was threatened at gunpoint by an explosive strapped hijacker who boarded the flight disguised as a passenger.
In the meanwhile, EgyptAir has confirmed that their flight MS-181 has been hijacked. A tweet from airliner read “Our flight MS-181 is officially hijacked. We will publish an official statement now.â€
A press release from EgyptAir says “an EGYPTAIR official declared that its flight number MS181 heading from HBE Airport (Borg El- Arab Airport in Alexandria) to Cairo Airport was already diverted to Larnaca airport in Cyprus as the aircraft was hijacked. The aircraft is an Airbus A320 with 56 pax onboard in addition to 7 crew members and one EGYPTAIR security member. The aircraft landed safely at Larnaca.
EGYPTAIR confirms that it is following up with the concerned authorities in Cyprus through EGYPTAIR IOCC and negotiations are undergoing with the highjacker.
EGYPTAIR will update you with any news within one hour.”
https://youtu.be/rzUb12GVGUg
Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
- 11:20 IST: Hijacked EgyptAir Flight A320 lands in Larnaca airport with 60 passengers and seven crew members.
- 13:15 ISTÂ : Hijackers allow women passengers and children to to leave.
- 13:28 IST : EgyptAir confirms that all passengers except four foreigners freed by Hijackers. The aircraft was carrying 10 Americans and 8 Britons.
- 13:33 IST:Â The Larnaca airport closed and all scheduled flights diverted.
- 13:34 IST: Cypriot anti-terrorism units deployed at Larnaca airport to deal with the crisis.
- 13:51 IST: “Negotiations with the Hijacker result in the release of all the passengers, except the crew and four foreigners,” tweets EgyptAir.
- 13:54 IST: Cyprus State Radio reported that EgyptAir hijacker has demanded asylum in Cyprus
- 14:04 IST:Â Photo of the possible hijacker standing at front of the Egyptair A320 flight
BREAKING Possible hijacker standing at front of the #Egyptair A320 flight #MS181 https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI pic.twitter.com/nTP8MNbthF
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 29, 2016
- 14:15 IST: Authorities said the hijacker of EgyptAir may have personal motives.
- 14:30 IST: Some reports said Ibrahim Samaha, the hijacker of the EgyptAir flight MS181  is a medicine student from an American’s Atlanta University.
- 14:45 IST: Â Hijacker of EgyptAir is ‘not a terrorist but an idiot’: Egypt’s Foreign Ministry
- 14:55 IST: Â Ex-wife of hijacker Marina Parashkou taken by police to participate in negotiations.
- 15:15 IST: Â President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades says EgyptAir flight MS181 hijacking is “not related to terrorism”.
- 16:15 IST:Â EgyptAir confirms the hijacker as Seif Eldn Mustafa. Two other passengers were earlier wrongly suspected.
- 16:45 IST: All passengers inside the flight now out. Police to soon arrest the hijacker.
- 17:12 IST: The EgyptAir hijack crisis ends as police now confirm they have the hijacker in custody.