Shortly after a 09:45 takeoff, an Air Algerie aircraft was hijacked during a domestic flight from Algiers to Ouargla. The Fokker F-27 aircraft carried 34 passengers and four crew members. The three hijackers-Algerian men-reportedly were armed with a hammer and several small knives. They also carried a box which, they stated, contained explosives. The hijackers wanted to be taken to France. The plane was low on fuel, however, and the pilot instead landed at Palma, Mallorca Island, Spain. He had contacted the control tower and declared his situation shortly before 11:00. After the plane landed, negotiations were begun by Spanish authorities. The hijackers initially demanded that the plane be refueled and they be allowed to fly to either France or elsewhere in Spain. They then asked for the release of political prisoners in Algeria and a return to democratic government. Several passengers were released in the early afternoon; food and water were later brought on board the plane. At approximately 19:15 the hijackers peacefully surrendered. They carried no explosives: the box contained a coffee grinder. The three Algerians asked for political asylum