When they arrived at Algiers airport, local government begun negotiations; five oil-ministers and 31 other hostages were released, five oil ministers were kept.

The bus had originally been due to take 25 Russians from Jijel to Algiers airport, he added.

Mr. Outoudert was jailed, the editor was freed, and both men's passports were confiscated at the Algiers airport.

French officials said that, fearing an attempt by the Algerian police to end the hijacking could be disastrous, France offered to send its own commandos to Algiers airport.

At that same moment, a huge jet appeared over the castle, coming in for a landing at the Algiers airport.

Algiers international airport (Houari Boumediene) is located approximately 15 km (9.3 miles) to the west.

August 26 - Algiers airport bombed; 9 deaths, 128 injured.

Medical teams were mobilised at the Algiers airport with vaccines against Yellow Fever and other bits.

By finally releasing the ministers at Algiers airport in exchange for a large ransom, he fails the mission that Haddad had given him.

Relations between Algeria and France had already been damaged by the hijacking of an Air France plane at the Algiers airport last December.