The Best Airplane Movies

Ranker Film
Updated June 23, 2023 5.1K votes 635 voters 185.5K views
Over 600 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Airplane Movies
Voting Rules
Vote for your personal favorite Airplanes and airports films, regardless of how popular or successful they were at the box office.
Latest additions: On a Wing and a Prayer
Most divisive: Always

A list of all the best airplanes movies ever made, many of which are streaming on Amazon Prime and Netflix.

This airplanes and airports movie list can be sorted by cast, year, director and more, and you can click on the movie titles for more information about the film. You can even copy this list of plane films to start your own. 

What's in your top 10? If Snakes on a Plane or 2001: A Space Odyssey is in there, vote for one of those, or both (or neither!). If you thought any of these were the worst airplane movies known to man, you can always vote them down, as well. If we missed any airplanes and airports movies on this list (we did), please add them yourself, as this is an open list, which means you can add any movies whenever you like (choices are subject to moderation and BETTER BE ABOUT AIRPLANES AND AIRPORTS!). The films on this list cover the most famous airplane and airport movies of all time and are voted on by people who really (really) care about airplane movie lists.

Examples of movies on this list include some of the greatest airplane movies ever made, like Only Angels Have Wings and Left Behind: The Movie and can also include movies about plane crashes.

Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick are among the directors who have worked on Airplanes and airports movies in the past.

Ranked by
  • Air Force One
    1

    Air Force One

    Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close
    224 votes
    • Released: 1997
    • Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
    Air Force One, a thrilling action-drama film, centers on President James Marshall (Harrison Ford), a leader committed to the war against terrorism. Onboard the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, after an international peacekeeping event, things take a dark turn. Russian extremists, led by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman), hijack the flight, holding the president and his family hostage. The stakes are high as this isn't just any passenger - it's the President of the United States. Trapped aboard his own aircraft, President Marshall must rely on his courage and wits to reclaim control, protect his family, and save everyone onboard. The movie is noted for its intense action sequences and compelling performances from its lead actors.

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  • Airplane!
    2

    Airplane!

    Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves
    226 votes
    • Released: 1980
    • Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
    In the 1980 comedy Airplane!, ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) finds himself thrust into an unexpected role. When food poisoning incapacitates the flight crew, including his ex-girlfriend Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), Striker must overcome his crippling fear of flying to land the plane safely. The film, directed by Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers, is renowned for its rapid-fire humor and satirical take on disaster films. Leslie Nielsen plays Dr. Rumack, a character whose deadpan delivery became iconic. Despite its comedic nature, Airplane! won a BAFTA award for Best Screenplay.

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  • Top Gun
    3

    Top Gun

    Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards
    200 votes
    • Released: 1986
    • Directed by: Tony Scott
    In the high-octane film Top Gun, Pete Maverick Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is an audacious naval aviator with an insatiable need for speed. His reckless flying style lands him a spot at the prestigious Fighter Weapons School, known as Top Gun, where he competes against the best fighter pilots in the country. Here, Maverick meets his match in both the air and on ground - rival pilot Tom Iceman Kazansky (Val Kilmer) and astrophysics instructor Charlotte Charlie Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). This 1986 action drama directed by Tony Scott won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and is celebrated for its thrilling aerial sequences and iconic soundtrack.

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  • Sully
    4

    Sully

    Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Valerie Mahaffey
    79 votes
    • Released: 2016
    • Directed by: Clint Eastwood
    On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) tries to make an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 strikes a flock of geese. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal, and Sullenberger becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. Despite the accolades, the famed pilot now faces an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation.

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  • Airport
    5

    Airport

    Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jacqueline Bisset
    135 votes
    • Released: 1970
    • Directed by: George Seaton
    In this large-ensemble disaster movie, Mel Bakersfeld (Burt Lancaster), the general manager of a Chicago-area airport, must contend with a massive snowstorm and other issues, both work-related and personal, while the troubled D.O. Guerrero (Van Heflin) threatens to blow up an airliner. As pilot Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin) attempts to calm Guerrero down and dissuade him from setting off explosives on the plane, tensions increase in the air and on the ground, and danger is imminent.

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  • Die Hard 2
    6

    Die Hard 2

    Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton
    138 votes
    • Released: 1990
    • Directed by: Renny Harlin
    Die Hard 2, an action-packed thriller, sees the return of NYPD officer John McClane (Bruce Willis), who is waiting for his wife at Washington's Dulles Airport. Unbeknownst to him, a group of rogue military operatives led by Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) has seized control of the airport, holding the planes hostage in mid-air. As police and airport security scramble, it's up to McClane to take matters into his own hands. Director Renny Harlin masterfully escalates tension throughout this high-stakes sequel that blends suspense, action, and Willis's iconic one-liners.

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