One grenade and two pistols were found aboard the hijacked aircraft thus far, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has said.

The two hijackers were in direct possession of the grenade and one of the pistols, while the second pistol was found while AFM officials were searching the plane.

Dr Muscat was addressing a press conference following the successful disembarkation of the passengers and crew who were aboard the hijacked plane earlier today.

All passengers and crew were disembarked safely, and the hijackers were taken into custody, he said. The plane, an Afriqiyah Airways A320, had 111 passengers on board, including 82 men, 28 women and one infant. It left Sabha, Libya, at 10.10am and was on its way to Tripoli, however it was hijacked and diverted to Malta, landing at 11.34am. The Prime Minister said there were six crew members on board.

The Prime Minister stressed that government's position was that no negotiation would take place until all passengers were released. "Obviously they are not in a position to make any demands now".

Both hijackers are currently in custody and are being interrogated. The passengers and crew are also being questioned. The passengers and crew will be flown back to Libya on another Afriqiyah after the authorities are done questioning them, probably within the next few hours.

Asked whether any request for political asylum was made, the Prime Minister said that no such request was made up until this point, "however I can't exclude anyone making that request over the coming hours".

He also would not say whether Sabha airport, which is where the plane originated from, is under control of the UN backed Libyan government, and said that this would be a question for the Libyan authorities.