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Con Air is a 1997 American action/thriller film by Touchstone Pictures that stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich. It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Simon West. The film borrows its title from the nickname of the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System.

The film featured the 1997 hit single "How Do I Live", originally performed by LeAnn Rimes and performed for the film by Trisha Yearwood. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Song and Best Sound, losing to Titanic in both categories.

Cameron Poe (Cage), an honorably discharged United States Army Ranger is paroled after serving eight years for killing a drunken man in a bar brawl while defending his wife Tricia (Potter) and unborn daughter Casey (Allbright). While still under the penal system until release in Alabama, Poe is to be flown back on the "Jailbird", a C-123 airplane, along with several other prisoners that are being transferred to a new Supermax prison. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Duncan Malloy (Meaney) approaches U.S. Marshal in charge of the transfer, Vince Larkin (Cusack), and requests he slip undercover agent Willie Sims on board to coax information out of drug lord Fransico Cindino (Borrego) during the flight before his incarceration. Larkin reluctantly agrees on the condition Sims doesn't carry a weapon, but Malloy manages to slip a gun to Sims before boarding.

Shortly after the flight, the prisoners launch a choreographed effort led by Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (Malkovich) and overcome guards, taking control of the plane; when Sims tries to take control of the situation, he is quickly killed. Poe opts to keep his identity quiet and cooperates with Grissom, who promises all prisoners that they will also be flown to a non-extradition country thanks to Cindino if they help out. The plane lands in Carson City as scheduled to make prisoner transfers; Grissom and his crew pose as the guards and take advantage of a dust storm to make sure the transfer appears to go smoothly, while Joe "Pinball" Parker (Chappelle) sneaks the Jailbird's transponder onto a private tour plane. Although Poe secretly manages to get word out on the hijacking, it is too late to stop plane from taking off.



Malloy orders attack helicopters to follow the transponder, unaware it is no longer on the plane. Poe discovers Parker did not make it back to the plane on time, his body still stuck in the landing wheel wells, and writes a message to Larkin to inform him the plane is headed for Lerner Airfield, an abandoned US Air Force base, then dumps the body overboard onto a populated city. Larkin learns of the message, and recognizes Poe is his ally on the plane, and calls in the National Guard while he travels alone to Lerner Airfield.

The plane lands but overshoots the runway, running aground. When neither Grissom nor Cindino can find the promised plane waiting for them, Grissom orders the prisoners to start digging the "Jailbird" free. Poe and Larkin happen upon each other, and quickly apprise each other of the situation, though Poe remains untrusting of Larkin's abilities. Larkin, sneaking about the airfield, discovers Cindino has snuck off to meet with his men at a small private jet. As the plane is taxing towards the runway at high speed, Larkin hops into a nearby crane and lowers it in front of the moving jet, ripping the entire tail section off in process. Grissom comes quickly to the wreckage and discovers Cindino's treachery. Using a lit cigarette to ignite fuel leaking from the plane, he kills him and destroys the remainders of the plane.

Meanwhile, one of the convicts spots a convoy of National Guard troops approaching Lerner Airfield and alerts others. The explosion from Cindino's plane sends a signal to the approaching National Guard. The prisoners realize military personnel will arrive shortly and quickly prepare to ambush the troops using shotguns and assault rifles originally meant to be shipped to prison guards. Poe returns to the plane with needed insulin shots for his fellow prisoner and now-former cellmate, Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell (Williamson), while Grissom and other convicts open fire on the guards as soon as they approach the junkyard. Larkin helps the National Guard to avoid getting slaughtered by providing a make-shift bulletproof shield using a steam shovel. Several convicts are killed in the shootout before Grissom orders remaining prisoners to retreat to the plane, and gets it in flight before Poe has a chance of getting off the plane with O'Dell. Malloy and his helicopters arrive, threatening to shoot the plane down, but Larkin orders him not to, and explains about Poe. Meanwhile, Grissom discovers there is a traitor on board the plane, he heavily suspects Poe, Mike stands up and takes blame. Grissom shoots him in the stomach, but still suspects Poe as well as Mike. Just as he is about to attack Poe, Grissom notices the helicopters and opens fire on them. Poe works his way quickly to the front of the plane and tells Larkin he has control of the plane now. They are ordered to land at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport but the plane has run out of fuel, and the prisoners are forced to make a landing on the Las Vegas Strip.

The landing harms or kills many of the remaining prisoners while causing massive destruction along the Strip. After the landing, Grissom, Jones, and Swamp Thing escape on a firetruck amid the chaos of destruction; both Poe and Larkin spot the escapees and follow them on motorcycles. Poe and Larkin work together to kill the prisoners, and Poe expresses his full trust in Larkin as they return. Poe is shortly reunited with Tricia and sees his daughter Casey for the first time. The last scene shows Garland Greene (Buscemi), the only prisoner to escape, playing craps and sipping whisky.