Flight MS181, an Airbus A320 carrying 81 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, was taken over after a passenger said he was wearing an explosives belt.

Negotiations are under way but no demands have been made by those in control of the plane, reports say.

A local journalist has told the BBC that some passengers had been seen leaving the plane.

Larnaca airport has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere.

Live updates

“The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca,” the Egyptian civil aviation ministry said in a statement.

Source BBC