Civil Aviation Ministry

The Civil Aviation Ministry will shortly hold a press conference on the repercussions of an Egyptian plane hijacking earlier Tuesday.

Earlier Tuesday, the EgyptAir Airbus A320, carrying 81 passengers, including 15 crew members and a security guard, on board, was hijacked and forced to land in Cyprus.

Flight MS181 passenger plane was originally travelling from Alexandra's Borg El Arab Airport to Cairo. 

The Cypriot Larnaca airport was closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere over the Egyptian plane hijacking.

All passengers, apart from five foreigners and seven crew members, of the hijacked Egyptian plane were released, EgyptAir said in a statement Tuesday.

The foreign passengers on board the hijacked Egyptian plane are four Danish, eight American and Four British nationals along with one passenger from each France, Syria and Italy. 

Egyptian security agencies have managed to reveal the identity of the hijacker; Ibrahim Samaha. 

Source : MENA