hijacked plane just landed in Cyprus

[laracroft2001]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-35914875

It's something every week just now

[Diamogs]

Thoughts with the crew and four passengers reported still on board.

Scary world we live in.

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

Wants his own way it seems....asylum

[CrowyMcCrowFace]

Not a terrorist, apparently, just some twat wanting to get a letter to his ex.

I live in Cairo; I have several friends who were visiting Alex over the weekend & flying back today or tomorrow.

Scary news to wake up to.

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

Abusive tosser! Why is the ex wife 'on her way' to the airport? I certainly wouldn't be

[MardAsSnails]

Motivation behind the hijacking aside - surely this still begs the question of how the fuck he was able to do this? No blame on the pilot for taking him where he wanted to go rather than risk detonation, however come on, Egyptian airport security was supposedly under scrutiny after the bomb recently and someone has managed to get explosives onto a flight again.

[AuntieStella]

There is about the be a press briefing, so more information soon.

It is not clear about the suicide belt that has been reported. If he has one, or has something that looks like one, then yes, hard questions for Egyptian airport security. But it remain possible that he is just making plausible threats.

One exiting passenger carried a letter from him, asking for a contact named (nfd) woman and that has led to reports that this is not jihadi or politically motivated action, and most reports say it has a domestic motivation.

[AuntieStella]

"Abusive tosser! Why is the ex wife 'on her way' to the airport? I certainly wouldn't be"

So she can assist negotiators. There are still people (27 remaining?) being held hostage and their lives matter. She might be able give information that might help bring all this to an end, ideally without loss of life.

[CrowyMcCrowFace]

It doesn't seem that he did have explosives.

I don't know what pilots are trained to do if someone claims to have explosives but might be bluffing.

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

stella once she's there and he knows she is there, do you think he's not going to want to see her? Face to face? These back slapping 'there's always a woman I volved' authorities may well just throw her on the plane and leave her to deal with it as she is the one 'who caused all this'

[AuntieStella]

Press conference from Egyptian officials says 7 people still in the plane, and that no concrete demands have been made (not sure what to make of that last bit).

He might not be told that she's there, if she is going to assist the negotiators. They will need to interview her, before deciding on any particular course of action.

[LucyLocketLostHerPocket]

Crow I think pilots are trained not to put 200 people's lives at risk regardless of what's happening.

The last thing you need at 35000 feet is a pilot who thinks he's in Die Hard.

[Clownshoes]

They have reported that the hijacker originally wanted to go to Turkey but was told they did not have enough fuel. So I don't think this is all about the ex wife who reportedly lives in Cyprus.

[AuntieStella]

In the official press conference, they have also said that many early accounts are totally wrong. And are asking the press to disregard them. The most striking example being that one man 'named locally' as the hijacker has popped up and said, 'no I'm over here not on the plane'. Reports of the letter (that I mentioned earlier) have also been denied.

[TeacupsandFigs]

The hijacker has now been arrested according to the BBC.