Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- melodramatic
- earnest
- classic disaster movie night
- 1970s movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film commercially entertaining but mechanically formulaic, implausible, and less suspenseful than its disaster premise promised.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The central conflict begins when a small aircraft collides with a Boeing 747, forcing air-traffic controllers and emergency personnel to devise a rescue.
Nancy Pryor is repeatedly treated as incompetent despite being the only person available to control the airborne 747.
Controllers must teach Nancy enough to keep the plane flying while arranging for a trained pilot to reach the cockpit before landing.
The film emphasizes the damaged 747, helicopter rescue attempts, cockpit peril, and airborne navigation.
Films like Airport 1975, and why
Airport
shared aviation disaster premise, midair suspense, and ensemble crisis management
The Towering Inferno
shared 1970s disaster-film conventions, escalating catastrophe, and large ensemble cast
The High and the Mighty
shared airborne survival thriller structure, technical rescue efforts, and high-stakes suspense
Earthquake
shared disaster spectacle, emergency leadership, and melodramatic ensemble storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Jack Smight
- Release Date
- 1974-10-18
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (305)
Cast
- Charlton Heston
- Karen Black
- George Kennedy
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
- Susan Clark
- Helen Reddy
- Linda Blair
- Dana Andrews
- Roy Thinnes
- Sid Caesar
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Airport 1975 about?
- A stranded flight attendant and ground-control team race to save a crippled 747 after a collision leaves its cockpit destroyed.
- What is Airport 1975 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Airport 1975 as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Airport 1975 violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Airport 1975 as mild.
- What did critics think of Airport 1975?
- Critics generally found the film commercially entertaining but mechanically formulaic, implausible, and less suspenseful than its disaster premise promised.
- Which films are like Airport 1975?
- Films with a similar feel include Airport, The Towering Inferno, The High and the Mighty, and Earthquake.
- How long is Airport 1975?
- Airport 1975 runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Airport 1975?
- In United States, Airport 1975 streams on Artiflix.
