Hijack Selfie Time

WHEN in the midst of a plane hijacking what would be running through your head? Will I survive? Will I see my family again? Will he let us off the plane? Can I take a selfie with the hijacker? 

Yes that´s right, one passenger didn´t seem at all phased by the fact that his plane, the Egypt Air flight had been hijacked by a suspected terrorist with what appeared to be bombs strapped to his chest. 

Ben Innes, a British health and safety officer from Leeds, certainly wasn´t following his work manual when imprisoned on the eventful flight and was reported as being one of the last two hostages held after Egyptian captor, Seif Eldin Mustafa took control of the plane, forcing it to land in Cyprus. 

Mr Innes, in his 20s, studied at the University of York, is seen with a massive grin, alongside his captor who is wearing what later transpired as a fake suicide belt, stuffed with mobile phone cases as opposed to explosives. 

Mr Innes told The Sun newspaper he “just threw caution to the wind while trying to stay cheerful in the face of adversity”.

“I figured if his bomb was real I’d nothing lose anyway, so I took a chance to get a closer look at it,” he told the newspaper.

“I got one of the cabin crew to translate for me and asked him if I could do a selfie with him.

“He just shrugged OK so I stood by him and smiled for the camera while a stewardess did the snap. It has to be the best selfie ever.”

One of Mr Innes friends told Sky News that he wasn´t surprised by the photo. 

“It is completely like him to think it is funny and get a picture,” he said.

Mr Innes’ mother Pauline Innes added that she is “absolutely delighted he is well” and relieved that “everything is resolved”.

Ben´s sister Sarah Innes tweeted: “Only Ben could get a selfie #proud”.

Mr Innes, based in Aberdeen, describes his work experience on his LinkedIn page as including working in “high hazard” industries. 

Innes is thought to have been one of the final hostages to be let off the plane after hours waiting for the hijacker. 

Eventually Mustafa was seen emerging from the aircraft after his bungled capture attempt with his hands raised in the air. 

Although motives remain unclear for the hijacking, Cyprus’ foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides said it had not been an act of terrorism. 

Of the 56 passengers on board the Egypt Air jet flight, four were British. On landing most of the crew and passengers were released apart from four crew members and three passengers, two of which were British. All passengers have now disembarked safely.