CAIRO, March 29, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Two passengers of the hijacked EgyptAir flight MS181 embrace their family members at Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, March 29, 2016. The passengers of Egypt's previously hijacked Egyptian airplane have arrived at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday evening. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)

CAIRO, March 29 (Xinhua) --The passengers of Egypt's previously hijacked Egyptian airplane have arrived at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, all 81 passengers, including 21 foreigners, were freed in Cyprus and the kidnapper was arrested.

EgyptAir's Airbus 320 was in a domestic flight from Alexandria to Cairo before it was hijacked by Seif-Eddin Mostafa, a 59-year-old Egyptian, who wore a fake explosive belt and forced the crew to land in Larnaca airport in Cyprus.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy who went earlier Tuesday to Cyprus, met with the passengers and crew members at the airport.

Most of our security experts confirmed that the belt was not explosive, the Egyptian aviation minister told reporters at the airport.

"The belt was not explosive and that is why it did not appear at the security check machine at the airport, without any material that can be detected," he added.

Egyptian Tourism Minister Mohamed Yahia Rashed told Xinhua that the incident has "a positive sign" as it showed the professional and quick response of the Egyptian authorities.

"Within hours, we successfully saved all the passengers and no one of them was hurt, while the hijacker was arrested," the minister said, adding that this is a testimony for the Egyptian security system and a message that Egypt is safe.

Egyptian official reports said the incident was not terrorism-related and that the hijacker was "a fraudulent and a forger" who faced relevant charges in lawsuit cases.

The Interior Ministry said in an earlier statement on Tuesday that the man had a Cypriot ex-wife. He had been sentenced to one year in jail but escaped amid the 2011 political turmoil, then went back to prison in January 2014 and was released last year.

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CAIRO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The hijack of EgyptAir's plane Tuesday is likely to negatively affect Egypt's efforts to revive its ailing tourism industry despite the fact that the incident seems to be unrelated to terrorism while all passengers were released unharmed.

Egyptian Seif-Eddin Mostafa, 59, hijacked an EgyptAir Airbus 320 as it took off from Borg al-Arab airport in Alexandria en route to Cairo airport after threatening the crew with a fake explosive belt and forced them to land in Cyprus's Larnaca airport. Full story

Spotlight: Egyptian plane hijacker arrested, motives to be ascertained

NICOSIA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The hijacker of an Egyptian plane was arrested in Cyprus Tuesday after hours of standoff with authorities.

"The hijacker has just been arrested," Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides tweeted Tuesday afternoon, without providing further details. Full story

CAIRO, March 29, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy(C) receives interviews after passengers of the hijacked EgyptAir flight MS181 arrived at Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, March 29, 2016. The passengers of Egypt's previously hijacked Egyptian airplane have arrived at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday evening. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)