Netflix Quietly Adds 'Airport 77' Almost 50 Years After Box Office Success
Airport '77 has finally made its way to Netflix in the United States.
Written by Michael Scheff & David Spector and directed by Jerry Jameson, this cult classic action movie is the third installment in the popular Airport film series and marked a huge step forward for the disaster/action subgenre in the 1970s.
The movie stars Jack Lemmon in one of his later film appearances, with Lee Grant, Christopher Lee, and James Stewart in supporting roles.
Airport '77 centers around a private jet that's carrying wealthy socialites and priceless art, which is hijacked midair and forced to crash land in the Bermuda Triangle. What begins as a catastrophic disaster movie then turns into a desperate fight for survival as the VIP guests have to fend for themselves in the wilderness.
Airport '77 was an undeniable box office success upon its release in 1977, pulling in an impressive $91 million worldwide. When adjusted for inflation, this figure becomes even more impressive.
And yet, despite the commercial success, stacked cast, and thrilling storytelling, Airport '77 remains an incredibly underrated action movie. The film was sadly forgotten about by general audiences as the genre evolved throughout the '80s with better visual effects and a stronger focus on blockbuster filmmaking-but Aiport '77 is an excellent time capsule into a much simpler cinematic era.
It may not hold up as the most visually impressive action movie out there, but Airport '77 deserves praise for its sharp screenplay and fierce performances that command the audience's attention at every moment.
After the one-two punch of Some Like It Hot and The Apartment in '59 and '60, Jack Lemmon was swiftly becoming one of America's biggest movie stars. But Airport '77 didn't come around until almost two decades later, and it did a brilliant job of revitalizing his career in a fresh new direction.
Thankfully, it wasn't just the box office that appreciated Airport '77 when it was released almost fifty years ago. The film also won over the hearts of critics across the country, winding up with two nominations at the 1978 Academy Awards. It was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, but lost both categories to a little-known sci-fi blockbuster called Star Wars.
Airport '77 landed on Netflix in the United States on May 1, 2026. Those without a valid Netflix subscription can buy or rent the film on any major VOD service, such as Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 7:15 AM.