Airport

Arthur Hailey writes classic densely plotted thrillers. This one is about a hectic evening in the life of a fictional Illinois Airport, Lincoln International, and its manager Mel Bakersfeld. It’s day three of a massive snowstorm, and airport operations are barely holding on. The biggest runway is blocked by a 707 that missed a turn and got bogged down in the mud. Mel is due at a charity event with his socially climbing wife, Cindy. Mel’s brother Keith, an air traffic controller, is finishing his last shift before a planned suicide. Local residents and an ambulance chasing lawyer are planning an anti-noise protest. The Lincoln - Rome Flight 2 is due to depart, piloted by captain, difficult personality, and Mel’s brother-in-law Vernon Demerest, who’s gotten the senior flight attendant pregnant. And… a desperate man is planning to blow up Flight 2 in a suicide bombing for the insurance money.

There’s a lot of drama, but few surprises for anyone who knows how a thriller works. All the pieces tightly mesh together. There’s a fair amount of sex (Vernon isn’t the only character who’s sleeping around), and some technical action. Every character has a clear motivation which guides their action. The pacing is interrupted with lectures on airport operations, circa 1970, and the wonders of the jet age. The two biggest changes are the absolute laxity of airport security, as characters can just wander onto planes. And also repeated statements that airlines are elite organizations with the best of everything, rather than being flying cattle cars trying to suck every last cent out of their customers.

This isn’t great literature, but it’s a fun little historical artifact for the beach, or an airport terminal.