All hostages on the hijacked EgyptAir plane are to be released with the exception of the flight crew and four non-Egyptian passengers.

Egypt's civil aviation minister says seven people remain with the hijacker on the EgyptAir plane that has landed in Cyprus, four crew and three passengers.

This domestic flight was hijacked en route to Cairo from Alexandria and was landed at Lanarca airport in Cyprus after a request by the pilots.

According to EgyptAir - Flight MS181 was carrying 56 passengers along with seven crew members and one EgyptAir security officer.

Aviation sources told Reuters, eight British nationals and ten Americans were onboard but is unknown how many of them have been released

Egyptian state media has named the hijacker as Ibrahim Samaha, stating he was sitting on seat 38K and is aged between 27 and 28 years old.

In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Seif Eldin Mustafa, suspected of hijacking EgyptAir plane MS181, flashes the 'V' for victory sign as he leaves the court in Larnaca in a police car AFP/Getty Images In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Seif Eldin Mustafa wears handcuffs as he leaves the court in Larnaca escorted by Cypriot police AFP/Getty Images In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane An EgyptAir flight 181 passenger embraces a family member after arriving at Cairo international airport Reuters In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane CCTV footage shows Seif Eldin Mustafa walking through a metal detector before being patted down by security Egypt Ministry of Interior In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Cypriot police guard the hijacked EgyptAir A320 plane at Larnaca Airport after it landed in Cyprus EPA In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Passengers evacuate a hijacked EgyptAir Airbus 320 plane at Larnaca airport, Cyprus Reuters In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane An official boards a hijacked Egyptair A320 Airbus at Larnaca Airport in Larnaca, Cyprus In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane An Egypt Air Airbus A-320 sits on the tarmac of Larnaca aiport after it was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane A Cypriot policeman stands guard near a hijacked EgyptAir A320 plane at Larnaca Airport, Cyprus In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Screen grabbed image taken from Flightradar24 of EgyptAir plane MS181 which has landed in Cyprus after being hijacked while flying from Alexandria to Cairo

EgyptAir have said that the hijacker in possession of a "suicide vest".

While his motives are not yet known, some officials have said he has been seeking political asylum.