Hijack Ordeal In France Ends

An Air France plane carrying 76 passengers was forced to detour over Paris Tuesday after a man on board threatened to blow it up. More than three hours after seizing the plane officials say, the hijacker surrendered to police, airport and all hostages were released unharmed.

Local media reports say the hijacker telephoned a French news agency, said his name was Stefano Savorini and that he was a member of a group called "Vitalo Missmo." The French Interior ministry identified him as a former police officer from Bologna, Italy.

At the start of the ordeal "I saw him at the front of the plane," one of the freed passengers says. "He was arguing with the flight attendants."

The Airbus A-320 coming from Marseilles in southern France, had been due to land at Orly airport south of Paris. But the hijacker insisted it head to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, north of the French capital. The pilots complied and the aircraft landed safely.

After landing Savorini freed all but six volunteers from among the passengers and six crewmembers. He later released the remaining passengers, surrendered and was taken into custody.

There was no word on whether a bomb was found or what prompted Savorini to take over the jet.