Hijacker of Egyptian plane arrested

Seif Eldin Mustafa, hijacker of the Egyptian plane, Egyptair MS 181, has been arrested, state media is reporting.

The EgyptAir plane was hijacked while flying from the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria to the capital, Cairo, but was forced to land in Cyprus, following a bomb threat by the hijacker.

Nigeria’s football team, Super Eagles, are currently in the city of Alexandria, where the hijacked plane took off from.

The Cyprus ministry of foreign affairs said the hostage situation was “all over”, congratulating security agencies for a job well-done.

Its over. The #hijacker arrested. #LarnacaAirport # Egyptair

— Cyprus MFA (@CyprusMFA) March 29, 2016

Congratulations to the #Cyprus Police and @CyprusMFA for their efforts to end the #hijacking & ensure the safety of all passengers and crew

— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) March 29, 2016

EgyptAir, one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East and a member of Star Alliance, has incurred cumulative losses of about $1 billion since the Egyptian revolution began in 2011.

The carrier has a fleet of about 80 aircraft with a target to expand it to 125 planes, but the hijack may take a toll, as one of its New York flights was halted after the attack – a picture of days to come.