• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Unbelievable story of British man who took selfie with a terrorist hijacker on a flight

Home> News

Published 12:30 18 Sep 2023 GMT+1

Unbelievable story of British man who took selfie with a terrorist hijacker on a flight

The photo went viral, but what's the real story behind it?

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A British man who posed next to an alleged plane hijacker in a now-legendary photo opened up about the incident.

You may not recognise the name Ben Innes, but it's a fairly safe bet you'll recognise the photo of him taken onboard the plane, where he was being held hostage - but what's the story behind the picture?

Well, it kicked off back in 2016, when Innes was onboard an Egyptair flight - number MS181 - flying from HBE Airport, Alexandria to Cairo Airport that was hijacked by a man who appeared to be wearing a suicide belt.

Advert

Thankfully, the flight was diverted and landed safely Larnaca airport, Cyprus, with all 56 passengers, members of crew and a member of the airline's security team.

Upon landing, all but three passengers and four crew were released.

Among those kept on the plane kept hostage by the hijacker - named by Cypriot officials as Seif Eldin Mustafa - was Innes, who decided to get a photograph taken with him. But why?

During that time, while negotiations were underway between officials and the alleged hijacker, Innes decided to get a photograph with Mustafa which later went viral.

Advert

His motive? Not because he particularly wanted to commemorate the moment or was a fan of the person he asked to take a photograph with, but partly because he wanted 'a chance to get a closer look' at the supposed explosive device.

In an interview with The Sun, Innes admitted he's not completely 'sure why [he] did it'.

The Brit continued: "After about half an hour at Larnaca I asked for a photo with him as we were sitting around waiting. I thought, why not?

There was a five-hour standoff at Larnaca airport.
BBC

"I 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 to lose anyway, so took a chance to get a closer look at it."

Advert

Innes explained he got one of the cabin crew to translate for him to ask the alleged hijacker if he could take a selfie.

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

Mustafa surrendered to authorities after the five-hour stand-off.

He was sentenced to life in prison by an Egyptian court in 2019, charged with intimidation and threats to seize a plane and abduct its passengers for a terrorist purpose.

Featured Image Credit: Ben Innes/ BBC

Topics: UK News, Crime

Claire Reid
Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Shocking story behind British man who took selfie with a terrorist hijacker on a flight
  • Cabin crew member also took selfie with terrorist hijacker as British man explained why he took viral image
  • British man who fell into gorilla enclosure as a boy and was protected by silverback tells his story 40 years later
  • CCTV footage showed moments before man stole plane and took it on doomed final flight

Choose your content:

23 mins ago
27 mins ago
an hour ago
  • 23 mins ago

    British scaffolder who won £11.5 million off £1.50 bet reveals heartwarming way he'll spend his cash

    The £11,498,211.89 payout was the biggest gambling win in Betfred's 58-year history

    News
  • 27 mins ago

    Donald Trump slammed for 'disgusting and disgraceful' question he asked workers outside the White House

    The US president has been slammed online for the shocking question he posed to the workers

    News
  • an hour ago

    Doctor issued warning over potentially fatal Mounjaro 'golden dose' as weight-loss jab to be rolled out across Britain

    Mounjaro will soon be available on the US but it's important patients avoid the dangerous trend

    News
  • an hour ago

    First ever study on people’s brains after using ChatGPT produces horrifying results

    It's bad news for the people relying on AI to get through the day

    News