A love-sick man hijacked an EgyptAir plane while 'wearing a suicide vest' was desperately trying to get a letter to his ex-wife. Cypriot president Nikos Anastasiades has reportedly ruled out terrorism as being behind the incident and instead claims the hijacker wants to 'reunite with his former Cypriot wife'.
The president said:
"It's all to do with a woman," the Guardian reports. "We are doing everything to release the hostages."
The hostage situation officially ended at about 3pm (1pm GMT) and the suspected hijacker was arrested, after reportedly walking out of the aircraft with his hands raised.
The man, reportedly named as Seif El Din Mustafa, is said to have thrown a letter outside the plane written in Arabic, however, it was not clear whether it was intended for police, containing a list of demands.
His ex-wife, reportedly named as Marina Paraskou, is believed to have arrived at the airport to participate in negotiations.
Responding to reports the hijacker's motives were personal, officials at Egypt's ministry of foreign affairs said they were aware of reports that he is seeking asylum and discussing his ex-wife.
They told the Guardian: “He’s not a terrorist, he’s an idiot. Terrorists are crazy but they aren’t stupid. This guy is."
The flight was hijacked at around 8.30am local time (6.30am GMT) after a man threatened the pilot with the explosive belt shortly after the EgyptAir flight MS181 had taken off from Alexandria.
The plane - carrying 56 passengers and seven crew to the Egyptian capital Cairo - landed at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus around 20 minutes later.
Local media reports state eight British people are on board.
The UK Foreign Office has said it is in contact with Cypriot and Egyptian authorities.
An EgyptAir spokeswoman confirmed at least one hijacker had taken control of the plane and requested to land in Cyprus.
She later added that all passengers except four 'foreigners' had been allowed off the plane following negotiations with the hijackers.
Dozens of passengers could be seen leaving the plane at around 10am local time (8am GMT) while five more people were then seen leaving the plane at around 11.30am local time (9.30am GMT).
Shortly before the hostage situation was declared over a man could be seen escaping through the plane's cockpit.
A hijacker was seen throwing a letter from the plane. Unconfirmed local media reports suggested the letter was intended for his ex-wife, who lives in Cyprus.
The spokeswoman said: "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 president said:
"It's all to do with a woman," the Guardian reports. "We are doing everything to release the hostages."
The hostage situation officially ended at about 3pm (1pm GMT) and the suspected hijacker was arrested, after reportedly walking out of the aircraft with his hands raised.
The man, reportedly named as Seif El Din Mustafa, is said to have thrown a letter outside the plane written in Arabic, however, it was not clear whether it was intended for police, containing a list of demands.
His ex-wife, reportedly named as Marina Paraskou, is believed to have arrived at the airport to participate in negotiations.
Responding to reports the hijacker's motives were personal, officials at Egypt's ministry of foreign affairs said they were aware of reports that he is seeking asylum and discussing his ex-wife.
They told the Guardian: “He’s not a terrorist, he’s an idiot. Terrorists are crazy but they aren’t stupid. This guy is."
The flight was hijacked at around 8.30am local time (6.30am GMT) after a man threatened the pilot with the explosive belt shortly after the EgyptAir flight MS181 had taken off from Alexandria.
The plane - carrying 56 passengers and seven crew to the Egyptian capital Cairo - landed at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus around 20 minutes later.
Local media reports state eight British people are on board.
The UK Foreign Office has said it is in contact with Cypriot and Egyptian authorities.
An EgyptAir spokeswoman confirmed at least one hijacker had taken control of the plane and requested to land in Cyprus.
She later added that all passengers except four 'foreigners' had been allowed off the plane following negotiations with the hijackers.
Dozens of passengers could be seen leaving the plane at around 10am local time (8am GMT) while five more people were then seen leaving the plane at around 11.30am local time (9.30am GMT).
Shortly before the hostage situation was declared over a man could be seen escaping through the plane's cockpit.
A hijacker was seen throwing a letter from the plane. Unconfirmed local media reports suggested the letter was intended for his ex-wife, who lives in Cyprus.
The spokeswoman said: "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.
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