Passengers disembark an Egypt Air Airbus A-320 sitting on the tarmac of Larnaca aiport after it was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus on March 29, 2016. [Photo: CFP]

Most of the passengers and crew who were on board a hijacked Egyptian plane that was forced to divert to Larnaca airport in Cyprus have been freed.

EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over after a passenger claimed to be wearing a suicide explosive belt.

Reports say the lone hijacker wants to talk to his estranged wife in Cyprus, and the Cypriot president has said the hijack is not a terrorist incident.

Egypt's civil aviation minister, Sherif Fathy, said seven people remained on board the jet.

"Seven people only remained on board, the captain, an assistant, an air hostess and a security man, along with the three passengers".

Sherif Fathy refused to disclose the nationalities of the three passengers.

He said negotiations with the hijacker - who had made no specific demands - were continuing, and that it was unclear whether the hijacker had taken explosives on board or whether he was bluffing.

He added an aircraft was being sent to Larnaca to pick up the passengers who had been released.

EgyptAir said the Airbus A320 was carrying 56 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, along with six crew and a security official. It had earlier said 81 passengers were on board.