The Concorde… Airport ’79 (1979) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The Concorde travels between Paris and Washington D.C. on its maiden flight. The film features scenes at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Le Bourget Airport, with the flight path threading through Europe before arriving at Dulles Airport in Washington. A dramatic emergency landing sequence takes place in the Alps near Innsbruck.

• paris
• washington dulles
• airports
• concorde route
• innsbruck alps

The movie is set in 1979, firmly in the late Cold War era. This period is significant because supersonic travel represented cutting-edge technology and national prestige, while the geopolitical tensions of the time provide the backdrop for the film's plot involving arms dealing and international intrigue.

• 1979
• cold war era
• time period
• late 1970s

Maggie Whelan is a tenacious television reporter played by Susan Blakely who pursues the Concorde story to break a major political exposé. Her investigation uncovers illegal arms deals and a cover-up implicating powerful figures. Her determination to obtain incriminating documents puts her in direct danger, creating a cat-and-mouse dynamic with the antagonist.

• maggie whelan
• susan blakely
• reporter
• journalist
• investigation

Joe Patroni is a veteran airline captain played by George Kennedy, known for his cool nerves and decisive action under pressure. He serves as the experienced practical voice that steadies the flight crew during the crisis. His expertise is pivotal in guiding the damaged Concorde through multiple life-threatening situations.

• joe patroni
• george kennedy
• pilot
• captain
• aviation expert

Kevin Harrison is the arms dealer antagonist played by Robert Wagner who manipulates events from behind the scenes. He seeks to ruin the Concorde for geopolitical leverage and personal profit, exploiting Cold War anxieties and weapon sales to communist countries. His calculated moves drive the central conflict of the film.

• kevin harrison
• robert wagner
• arms dealer
• villain
• antagonist

The film explores three primary themes: Flight Threat, with the crew facing missile attacks and mechanical failure; Investigative Journalism, as Maggie Whelan risks her safety to expose a conspiracy; and Corruption & War Profiteering, showing how powerful interests endanger civilians for profit. The story emphasizes transparency and courage in the face of institutional greed.

• themes
• corruption
• journalism
• flight threat
• war profiteering
• conspiracy

The late Cold War setting is integral to the plot, as the arms dealer's scheme exploits geopolitical tensions between East and West. The Concorde's status as a symbol of technological superiority becomes entangled with modern warfare anxieties. The era's climate of suspicion and nuclear threat amplifies the stakes of the Conspiracy.

• cold war
• geopolitics
• nuclear threat
• cold war era
• arms dealing

Paul Metrand is the Concorde captain played by Alain Delon who teams with Joe Patroni to navigate the damaged aircraft toward a safe emergency landing. He demonstrates strategic thinking and strong leadership under extreme circumstances, working alongside the crew to execute the rescue plan.

• paul metrand
• alain delon
• concorde captain
• flight crew

Isabelle is a passenger portrayed by Sylvia Kristel who intersects with the main characters amid the unfolding crisis. Her presence adds emotional nuance and human stakes to the high-tension scenario, contrasting the technical drama with personal stakes.

• isabelle
• sylvia kristel
• passenger

The Concorde represents cutting-edge 1970s technology and national prestige, making its potential destruction both a symbolic and literal catastrophe. Its maiden flight provides the perfect stage for the intersecting stories of journalism, espionage, and corporate greed. The aircraft becomes a character itself, embodying the tension between technological achievement and human vulnerability.

• concorde
• supersonic jet
• aviation
• technology
• symbolism