Un grupo de terroristas árabes secuestran un avión en vuelo a Nairobi. Entre los pasajeros se encuentra Tommy aquejado de una grave enfermedad, y tiene que llegar urgentemente al hospital es el nieto predilecto del coronel Shaw, curtido militar que decide planear el rescate.

The leader of a South African Nation is imprisoned. His followers, led by Zabo, hijack a plane with the intent to use the passengers as hostages to trade for his release. They select a plane carrying a religious leader to use as their main hostage. They soon learn that they have an added bonus of the daughter and grandson of Colonel Shaw, a bigwig in the country. The grandson all the while has to cope with the dual problems of being hijacked and held hostage while needing a kidney transplant. The hijackers have everything in their favor, except that the colonel's daughter is the sweetheart of Major Sam Striker. Striker puts together a band of mercenaries and sets about freeing the hostages.

Teroristi z jednej arabskej fundamentalistickej strany unesú lietadlo a držia pasažierov ako rukojemníkov. Nechcú toho veľa, len vydať ich vodcu, ktorý je uväznený. Nepočítali však s tým, že sa do únosu osobne zaangažuje major Sam Striker (Wings Hauser) a ten s nikým, tobôž teroristami nevyjednáva...