Critical reviews were mixed, but the film was a box-office success, and made Snipes a popular action hero icon.

Widowed law enforcement veteran John Cutter has served an honorable career as a reputable police officer, decorated soldier, and reliable Secret Service agent known for his tough stance on high-level crimes.

Having constantly been haunted by the memories of his wife's death in a convenience store robbery, Cutter has launched a course specializing in training flight attendants in self-defense.

Cutter is reluctant, but Delvecchio and the company's president, Stuart Ramsey, eventually convince him to accept the offer.

Cutter trips circuitry to dump the plane's fuel, forcing Rane to order the surviving pilots to land at a small Louisiana airfield.

Rane announces that if he does not contact the plane and give flight clearance, his men aboard have been instructed to kill the rest of the hostages.

However, the sniper is Vincent, who kills the escorts but is shot dead by Cutter, and Rane makes it inside safely.

Amid congratulations and celebration, Marti and Cutter make their escape into the distance hand-in-hand, but not before Chief Biggs offers them a ride.

It was written as an action film for a guy like Clint Eastwood, about a man going to bury his son in Spain who sat next to an Iranian terrorist on the plane.

[4] The airport's former combination main hangar and control tower from its time as Naval Air Station Sanford was used for many key scenes just prior to its demolition after filming.

Because of this film's success, Wesley Snipes was cast in lead roles of other features, including Money Train, Drop Zone, Demolition Man, The Art of War, and the Blade trilogy.

The consensus states: "Wesley Snipes tries to pilot Passenger 57 away from turbulence, but even he can't help this implausible coach-class action bomber from nose-diving.

With his flowing blond Jesus locks, armor-piercing stare and casual sadism, he makes Hannibal Lecter look like a social worker – and like Sir Anthony Hopkins's serial killer, part of the man's menace is in the apparent contradiction between his articulate, well-spoken English and his off-hand brutality.