Latest update: EgyptAir hijacking
The latest information
A suspected hijacker has been arrested after a plane was forced to land in Cyprus.
More than 60 people were on board the flight, reportedly including eight British people and one Irish citizen.
At one stage most of the passengers were allowed to exit the plane, leaving others on board.
The authorities believe the man didn't have a gun but were unsure whether the man was wearing an explosive belt.
(Credit: PA Images) The hijacker is believed to be Eygptian national Seif Eldin Mustafa and it was said he wanted a letter delivered to his ex-wife and demanded female prisoners in Egypt be released.
The supposed former wife is Marina Parashko and it's claimed that she went to the airport, in keeping with the hijacker’s demands.
It's believed the estranged couple have four children together.
The Cypriot president said the incident was not terror related while the Egyptian Foreign Ministry reportedly said: "He is not a terrorist, he’s an idiot. Terrorists are crazy, but they are not stupid."
The plane had set off from Alexandria to go to Egypt's capital Cairo but diverted to Larnaca airport where the airline EgyptAir confirmed flight MS181 had been "officially hijacked".
Earlier the Civil Aviation Ministry released a statement saying: "The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca."
One person at the airport shared this image.
The incident has raised concerns about security after a Metrojet plane crashed, killing more than 200 people on board.
It was thought that an explosive device could have been put on the aircraft before it departed from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in Egypt.