General Chat

Fun at Larnaca Airport as passengers arrive to return home and all the flights have been diverted - I expect to Paphos. Edit - Confirming all flights landing at Paphos, all passengers being asked to contact their airlines prior to travelling to Larnaca.

There will be delays if anyone is expecting relatives/friends returning to UK from here.

It'll all come out in the wash Londonbelle.

Never wise to speculate I know :-)

SOME HOSTAGES ABOARD STILL - Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority says 7 people still aboard including 3 passengers. Hijacker asked to come to Cyprus.

Estranged wife being rushed to airport - local reports

Egyptian minister quotes - he is not a terrorist he's an idiot. Not the time to discuss security lapses.

Unconfirmed reports - all now off, seen film of a few people getting off but don't know if it was a previous group.

Are there any confirmations as to where the flight started Pat. All sorts of media reports here. Some sat Cairo, some Alexandra. (eg one report on facebook It was flying from Saudi via Alexander to Cairo it's not yet confirmed where he boarded either Saudi or alaxandera.)

Lots of conflicting info. Info I have - it started in Saudi to Alexandria and then onto Cairo. It isn't known where hijacker got on, Saudi or Alex.

This was early on but I haven't seen any official clarification on this. At 1 time a passenger was named as hijacker but was just passenger, in fact the innocent passenger is a lecturer at an Egyptian uni.

Air Egypt confirms a security person was on board with crew and passengers during flight.

Official info

Seven hostages remain aboard the plane, Egyptian civil aviation minister Sherif Fathy just said at a news conference.

They are the captain, a co-pilot, a female crew member, a security officer and three passengers.

A Cypriot minister has named hijacker on a tweet. I will not repeat it as last time it was an innocent passenger.

Flights into Larnaca now being cancelled.

I love Cyprus - been there many times to Larnarca - looking at the footage of it longingly and wishing I was there

There is so much so called information which is then countered I believe absolutely nothing. The press is just too eager to get 'news' out there. It's positively dangerous.

I hope they get a good resolution soon.

Ann it's 18 C here today but with a cold breeze.

Washing has dried.

We are almost halfway between the 2 airports. It's quite a hike for the passengers to get from 1 airport to the other. It'll take almost 2 hrs by coach as it's 55 minutes from here to Larnaca and 45 minutes to Paphos.

"Inshallah Bukra Mumkin" - all you need to know about Egypt. It is only surprising that this sort of thing does not happen more often.

Cairo is world capital for indolence, corruption, in efficiency, police brutality, broken "justice" system .... where else in the world are the mausoleums a desirable address? Tony Blair thought that "Arab Spring" was a nonsense. Just maybe after Libya, Egypt and Syria he has a point. Next: Turkey?

avoid unless the desire for a cheap holiday in the sun exceeds desire to stay alive.

fwiw Cyprus is now a Russian oblast and once idlyllic places such as Paphos mangled - poor choice by hi jacker who had not done his homework the plane would have had plenty of fuel. Larnaca is an even worse place to be than Cairo.

Now they will all have a game of pass the parcel 'cos nobody will want to prosecute him while not conceding prosecutuion rights. Most likely he will wind up back in Egyot where he will be fortunate to avoid hanging though given the state of Egyptian prisons there are worse fates ...

fwiw a regular ir ticket from Cairo to Istanbul is under £ 200 - much cheaper than rubber boats

BBC report

Cypriot TV pictures from moments ago show someone jumping out of the plane from the cockpit window, after three people left the plane via the staircase.

Hijacker reported he would allow more to go free if he could talk to his wife. Unofficial reports say prior to the four leaving the plane ex - wife arrived at Larnaca Airport.

Local reporters reporting they have been moved back from 500 metres to 1 kilometre away.

Cyprus Foreign Affairs Ministry

It's all over. Hijacker arrested.

A report on CBC, it's over, hijacker has been arrested.

Reuters are quoting Cyprus reports that the alleged hijacker has emerged from the plane with his hands held up.

Alleged hijacker 'emerges with hands held up'
Posted at 12:52

Reuters are quoting Cyprus reports that the alleged hijacker has emerged from the plane with his hands held up.