Passenger

The FBI and local authorities arrest the British international terrorist Charles Rane in Miami as he is about to undergo plastic surgery to evade capture. The arrest sets up a plan to transport him back to Los Angeles for trial. The media dubs his career 'The Rane of Terror'.

Widowed lawman John Cutter is approached by Sly Delvecchio with a VP role in a new anti-terrorism unit for Atlantic International Airlines. Cutter is reluctant at first, but he is persuaded by Delvecchio and the company's president. This introduces Cutter's involvement in the impending mission.

Cutter boards as the 57th passenger on the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar headed to Los Angeles. Charles Rane and his FBI escorts are also aboard, signaling the setup for a high-stakes hijacking. The stage is set for a tense in-flight crisis.

Henchmen posing as flight attendants kill the FBI agents and the captain, freeing Rane to take control. Cutter, hiding in the lavatory, uses the plane's on-board phone to warn Delvecchio of the situation. The hijacking escalates quickly into a full-blown hostage crisis.

Cutter overpowers a henchman and uses him as a shield to confront Rane. Rane coldly murders both a passenger and the henchman in front of Cutter. Realizing he is outmatched, Cutter and Marti retreat to the cargo hold to regroup.

Cutter eliminates Vincent, who pretends to be a caterer. He trips circuits to dump the plane's fuel, forcing Rane to order the pilots to land at a small Louisiana airfield. The hijackers' plan begins to shift toward a ground-based confrontation.

The plane lands at a small Louisiana airfield and Forget captures Marti, kicking Cutter off the plane. Local sheriff Leonard Biggs believes Cutter is a terrorist and detains him at the airport building. The situation on the ground becomes a new battleground.

Rane demands refueling in exchange for freeing some passengers, and Sheriff Biggs approves the move. As hostages begin to be released, some of Rane's men slip away, using the distraction to their advantage. Cutter realizes the current plan is only a diversion and plots a comeback.

Seeing the release as a diversion, Cutter breaks free from custody and pursues Rane into a nearby county fair. He fights and kills one of Rane's men during the pursuit, inching closer to stopping the hijacking. The confrontation draws in local law enforcement and escalates the stakes.

The FBI's plan to storm the plane with a sniper is compromised when Vincent murders the two escorts. Cutter shoots Vincent, but Rane manages to slip inside the aircraft amidst the confusion. The final showdown shifts back to the inside of the plane.

Cutter clings to the plane as tension rises above the ground. A sudden window blowout causes explosive decompression, intensifying the danger inside. Cutter drives Rane toward the open door and finally kicks him out of the craft to his death.

With Rane dead and the remaining hostages secured, the flight returns to the airfield and the FBI ensures Sabrina Ritchie is safe. Marti and Cutter share a moment of relief as they walk away from the chaos, signifying the crisis's resolution. The mission ends on a note of cautious optimism.

Chief Biggs congratulates the rescuers and offers Cutter and Marti a ride, acknowledging the successful conclusion of the operation. The heroes depart into the distance, the threat neutralized and a personal closure in sight for Cutter.