EgyptAir hijacking ends; suspect arrested in Cyprus

Cypriot authorities have arrested the hijacker of an EgyptAir plane after an hourslong standoff in Larnaca, Cyprus.

As Cypriot state television reports, the man walked off the plane with his hands in the air, according to Reuters.

He hijacked the Cairo-bound EgyptAir plane departing from the coastal city of Alexandria early Tuesday and forced it to land in Cyprus.

Most of the passengers were quickly released upon landing. Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy told reporters that seven people were held on board the plane: the pilot, his deputy, a flight attendant and a security guard, as well as three non-Egyptian passengers.

One of the hostages was seen climbing through the cockpit window and escaping just minutes before the hijacker surrendered. You can see the video of that escape here, broadcast on Sky News Arabia:

Fathy said the hijacker had claimed to have an explosive belt and that he asked the pilot to land in Cyprus.

According to The Associated Press, the flight took off from Alexandria "with at least 55 passengers, including 26 foreigners, and a seven-member crew." The flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows the path of the flight, and says flights trying to arrive at Larnaca Airport are being diverted.

As Joanna Kakissis tells our Newscast unit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cyprus identified the hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa.

Fathy would not immediately elaborate on the hijacker's demands or the names of the people who were on board during the standoff. But NPR's Leila Fadel says the hijacker reportedly has a personal motive — according to Cypriot media reports, he's asking for authorities to deliver a letter to his ex-wife.

"This guy landed in Cyprus, apparently requested political asylum and has also, according to Cyprus media reports, tried to get a letter to the ex-wife who's in Cyprus and has requested that she be brought to the airport," Leila tells our Newscast unit.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters that the hijacking is "not something to do with terrorism." When a reporter asked if it had something to do with a woman, he replied, "Always, there is a woman."

But according to Reuters, the Cyprus state broadcaster is now reporting that the hijacker "asked for the release of female prisoners in Egypt."

This comes as Egypt faces growing international scrutiny about the state of its airport security. A Russian airplane departing from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh airport crashed in the Sinai last October, killing all 224 people on board. Russia said the plane was downed by a bomb, and Egypt's local Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility.