Update On Hijacked Egypt Air Plane: 4 Foreigners & Crew Still Onboard

EgyptAir says that four foreigners and the flight crew remain onboard a hijacked flight.

The state carrier of Egypt made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter. It said the release came after negotiations with the unidentified hijacker of the flight.

Cyprus official says 56 people on board the hijacked EgyptAir plane have been released and have left the aircraft.

EgyptAir flight 181: Passenger Plane Lands In Cyprus After Being 'Hijacked'

An Egyptian passenger plane has landed in Cyprus after reportedly being hijacked on its journey to Cairo.

EgyptAir Flight 181 was was on a scheduled journey from Alexandria when it veered off course on This morning. Androulla Vassiliou, the Cypriot former European Commissioner for Education, wrote on Twitter that the plane landed shortly before 7am.

“Hijacked aircraft of Egypt Air with 82 passengers landed at Larnaca airport,” she wrote. “We are anxious to learn more.”

The number of people on board was later revised to 55 by Cypriot state radio. Satellite data recorded by the Flight Aware website showed the Airbus A320 took off from Borg El Arab Airport as scheduled but lists its status as “result unknown”.

The situation at the Larnaca airport was unclear but Ms Vassilou said hijackers claimed to be prepared to release some passengers.

“Hijackers asked all police forces to leave the area in order to release women and children passengers,” she wrote.