The Story of Airport
Airport unfolds during a blizzard at Lincoln International Airport in Chicago, where the airport's manager (Burt Lancaster) is juggling a professional crisis and a crumbling marriage. A Boeing 707 sits stuck on the runway, blocking the main airway while snow piles up and pressure mounts from all sides. Meanwhile, another flight bound for Rome—piloted by Burt's brother-in-law (Dean Martin)—is about to take off with a passenger who's carrying something far more dangerous than luggage. It's a soap opera wrapped inside a disaster film, where the personal dramas of the people working behind the scenes matter just as much as the mechanical and meteorological chaos threatening the airport itself.
How Airport Came Together: Production, Cast, and Box Office Impact
Airport was adapted from Arthur Hailey's 1968 bestselling novel by director George Seaton, who both wrote and directed the film for Universal Pictures. The ensemble cast was stacked with established talent: alongside Lancaster and Dean Martin, the film featured Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Dana Wynter. That's a lot of recognizable faces carrying overlapping storylines—a deliberate choice that would become the template for disaster films throughout the 1970s.
The film's commercial success was staggering. Airport earned $100.5 million at the box office, a figure that justified the studio's faith in the ensemble-disaster formula and spawned three sequels. Critics were divided—Rotten Tomatoes gave it a Fresh 72% rating, while Metascore landed at a more skeptical 42, and IMDb settled at 6.6 out of 10. The Academy, however, recognized something worth honoring: Airport won one Oscar and received five additional wins and 19 nominations across various award bodies. It was rated G, meaning families could bring their children to watch a bomb threat unfold, which says something about how differently audiences approached tension in 1970.
What Makes Airport Stand Out: The Performances That Ground the Chaos
What's striking about Airport is how seriously it takes the interpersonal stuff. Lancaster plays the airport manager with genuine weariness—this is a man trying to keep a massive operation running while his wife (Dana Wynter) is having an affair and his professional reputation hangs on clearing that runway. Dean Martin, often remembered for comedy, brings unexpected depth to a pilot caught between duty and family loyalty. The film doesn't treat these personal problems as mere padding; they're the actual heart of the story.
The disaster elements—the snow, the mechanical failures, the bomber on the Rome flight—matter, sure. But they matter because real people with real stakes are trying to solve them. George Kennedy's performance as a maintenance worker trying to save the day earned him an Oscar nomination, and you can see why: he plays it straight, no winking at the camera. Jean Seberg and Jacqueline Bisset add layers of complication to what could have been one-dimensional roles. Honestly, the thing that makes Airport work is that it refuses to treat its characters as disaster-movie clichés. They're professionals under pressure, and the film lets them breathe.
The 1970s disaster boom that followed—Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, and countless others—owed everything to this film's template. Airport proved audiences wanted ensemble casts, overlapping personal drama, and real tension mixed with melodrama. It's campy by today's standards, sure. But it's campiness in service of something that actually engages you.
Where to Stream Airport Online
If you're ready to experience the film that launched a genre, Airport is currently available on Netflix. Movie OTT tracks streaming availability across all major platforms, so you can always find where your favorite films are streaming right now. Since licensing changes frequently, checking the Where-to-Watch widget at the top of this page will show you the most up-to-date information on where Airport is available in your region. Netflix's library rotates regularly, so if you've been meaning to watch it, now's a good time to add it to your queue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Airport based on a true story?
No, but it's based on Arthur Hailey's 1968 bestselling novel, which drew inspiration from real airport operations and procedures. Hailey was known for his meticulous research, so while the specific plot isn't true, the world it depicts feels grounded in reality.
Q: Who directed Airport?
George Seaton both wrote and directed the film. He was an experienced director who understood how to juggle multiple storylines and characters without losing narrative momentum.
Q: How many Airport movies are there?
Airport spawned three sequels: Airport 1975, Airport '77, and The Concorde: Airport '79. The original is widely considered the strongest of the series, though the sequels have their own cult followings.
Q: What awards did Airport win?
Airport won one Academy Award and received 19 total nominations across major award bodies. George Kennedy's performance earned an Oscar nomination, and the film was recognized for its technical achievements in sound and editing.
Q: Why is Airport rated G?
Airport was released in 1970 under the original MPAA ratings system, where G meant "General Audiences." By modern standards, a film involving a bomber threat and intense personal drama might receive a PG or PG-13 rating, but the absence of explicit language, violence, and sexual content qualified it for the lowest rating at the time.
Final Thoughts on Airport
Airport doesn't pretend to be high art, and that's partly why it works. It's a competent, entertaining film that knows exactly what it is: a well-cast ensemble drama with disaster-movie spectacle. If you're a fan of 1970s cinema, disaster films, or just want to see where an entire genre got its blueprint, Airport delivers. The performances are solid, the pacing rarely drags despite its 137-minute runtime, and there's something oddly comforting about watching professionals solve problems in real time. It's worth your time, especially if you can catch it on Netflix.
