The Concorde: Airport '79 (1979)

The fourth and final installment of the Airport franchise, The Concorde… Airport ’79 (1979), is an American air disaster film. In this film, a corrupt arms dealer named Kevin Harrison attempts to destroy a newly launched American-owned Concorde. His motive? To cover up his weapons sales to communist countries during the height of the Cold War. The story follows reporter Maggie Whelan, who uncovers Harrison’s illegal activities while on board the flight. Despite facing obstacles such as environmental protestors flying a hot air balloon into its path and having to perform a go-around, the Concorde successfully takes off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and lands at Dulles Airport outside Washington D.C. The next day, Maggie reports her findings from the flight, which leads to an expose on Harrison and his Buzzard surface-to-air missile project.

Later on, a man named Carl Parker approaches Maggie with evidence of these illegal arms deals but is tragically shot by an unknown assailant. Maggie is then chased throughout her house before a passerby triggers a fire alarm, scaring off the attacker. Harrison informs Maggie that he is being framed, and then arranges for her to leave in a limo. Meanwhile, he devises a plan to sabotage the Concorde by reprogramming an attack drone to target it instead. On board the Concorde are Captains Joe Patroni and Paul Metrand, as well as 2nd Officer Peter O’Neill and Flight Engineer Capt. Paul Metrand. Before Maggie’s departure, Harrison surprises her at the airline check-in desk and asks if the documents have appeared. However, they have not yet surfaced.