Federal Aviation Authority investigator Neil McCabe (Rod Rowland) discovers that all of the incriminated planes were equipped with a pioneering flight control chip made by the company Oxcellis.

Among them are Bernadette (Barbara Carrera), a famous TV actress, Walter (John Bishop), a businessman with a fear of flying, Zoe (Boti Bliss), who is afflicted with brittle bone disease, Philip (Gulshan Grover), a self-absorbed physician travelling with his family, and Ray (Billy Williams), who has an unresolved personal issue with the flight's other attendant, Maxine (Tereza Rizzardi).

Meanwhile, on the ground, the FAA team led by Keller (Tucker Smallwood) is hunting down the terrorist (Alexander Enberg), who calls himself Cain and plans to crash the plane into the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, wiping out much of the surrounding region.

[7] There is a humorous reference to the upcoming film at the end of Air Panic, when two characters agree to avoid planes in favor of trains in the future, citing their safer reputation.

[11] The film's final answer print was delivered on 10 September 2001, on the eve of the terror attacks perpetrated against the New York World Trade Center and the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters.

[16] Due to American audiences' particular sensitivity to the matter, those domestic releases carried a disclaimer on the back of the case, stating: "Production on this film was completed prior to September 11, 2001.

"[16] Less controversially, the film's belated appearance in some markets gave it a small curiosity appeal, as Kristanna Loken was chosen to play the Terminatrix in the long anticipated Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in February 2002.