A man who hijacked an EgyptAir flight from Alexandria to Cairo on Tuesday was arrested after the plane landed safely in Cyprus, and all the hostages were released.
Most passengers were released early in the incident, but seven people remained on board with the lone hijacker, four crew members and three passengers, according to the Associated Press. At around 2:45 p.m. local time, Cyprus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted that the situation was over and “the hijacker arrested.”
According to Egyptian authorities, citizens of at least eight countries, including the United States and Italy, had been on board. Sharif Fathi, Egypt’s civil aviation minister, did not disclose any names, and said there was originally confusion over the identity of the hijacker. Egyptian officials have since identified the hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa.
The Egypt Civil Aviation Authority said the MS181 Airbus was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Alexandria’s Burg el-Arab airport with 56 passengers, seven crew members and one EgyptAir security officer onboard. The plane took off around 6:30 a.m. local time, and just before 8 a.m. local time, it landed safely at Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus.
According to Cyprus’ foreign minister Loannis Kasoulides, the man, an Egyptian, wanted to speak to and deliver a letter to his ex-wife, who lives in Cyprus. Kasoulides told reporters at 5:40 p.m. local time that the man appeared to be “psychologically unstable.”
Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters almost immediately Tuesday morning as the incident unflawed that it was “not something which has to do with terrorism.”
The hijacking comes as Egypt faces scrutiny for its aviation safety and security. A Russian airliner crashed shortly after take off from Sharm el Sheikh on Oct. 31, killing all 224 on board, and a local affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the crash, citing a bomb.
