LARNACA, CYPRUS — A man who reportedly claimed to have an explosive belt hijacked an Egyptian plane on Tuesday morning and diverted it to Cyprus.
EgyptAir Flight MS181 left Alexandria and was headed for Cairo when the hijacking occurred.
The Guardian reports that Egypt’s minister of civil aviation said 55 people of “various nationalities” were on board the Airbus A320. Unconfirmed reports said as many as 88 people were on the flight.
Negotiations with the hijacker resulted in the release of everyone on board with the exception of seven people, including three foreigners, after the plane landed at Cyprus’ Larnaca airport.
It is believed the hijacker may have personal motives, as he threw a letter in Arabic from the plane and asked for it to be delivered to his estranged wife, who is Cypriot, the Guardian reported.
Reuters reports that Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters the hijacking “had nothing to do with terrorism.”
When asked if a woman was involved, he said: “There is always a woman involved.”
