A man reportedly strapped with explosives has hijacked a passenger plane.
Seven people, including three foreign passengers, are still being held on the EgyptAir plane, which landed in Cyprus after being diverted.
Flight MSR181 was carrying 81 passengers - including four Britons and one Irish citizen - when it was hijacked by an Egyptian national named as Ibrahim Samaha.
Most have been allowed to disembark.
Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades said the incident was not terror related.
He added: "We are doing our utmost in order for everyone to be released and safe and to give an end to this unprecedented incident."
An unnamed government official said the hijacker had asked to see his estranged wife in Cyprus and that she lived in the village of Oroklini not far from the airport.
Witnesses told state TV they saw him throw a letter on to the tarmac and demand it be delivered to the woman.
Samaha is reported to be a 27-year-old professor of veterinary medicine.
A statement said: "The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca."
A total of 26 foreigners on board also included eight Americans, four Dutch, two Belgians, a French national, an Italian, two Greeks and one Syrian.
The airliner took off from Alexandria at 8am.
A hijacker contacted the control tower at 8.30am (5.30am in UK) and the plane was given permission to land at 8.50am.
A crisis team including ambulances was deployed to the airport.
EgyptAir tweeted: "Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. We'll publish an official statement now."
They later added: "The negotiations with the hijacker have resulted in the release of all the plane passengers with the exception of the crew and four foreigners."
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