In Flight on Channel 4: Plot, cast, and start date of gripping new crime thriller starring Katherine Kelly
By Helen Fear | Wed Apr 23 2025In Flight is the latest thriller from Channel 4, which follows a flight attendant who is forced into an impossible position - so when is the start date and what happens in the tense plot?
The ever-brilliant Katherine Kelly leads the cast of the new series, which is set to land soon (unless there's any unexpected delays).
Here's everything we know so far about the "gripping new crime thriller" in which a flight attendant finds her life turned upside down (sorry, we'll stop the puns now!). Read on for details of In Flight's cast, plot, and start date.
What's In Flight on Channel 4 about? What's the plot?
Channel 4 describe In Flight as "a gripping new crime thriller" produced by the team behind Marcella, Crime, and The Burning Girls.
Written and co-created by Mike Walden (Whitstable Pearl) and Adam Randall (Slow Horses), the series follows a flight attendant who finds her life turned upside down when she is blackmailed into drug smuggling after her son is arrested.
Jo Conran is a single mum whose son is serving a 15-year sentence in a Bulgarian prison for a murder he swears he did not commit. When flight attendant Jo is approached by a gang who know all about her son, she is blackmailed into smuggling drugs.
She soon finds herself pulled into a murky underworld of corrupt cops and hired killers, forced to carry out their orders with no escape in sight. However, no matter how far Jo finds herself from her old life, her mission remains the same, to keep her son alive.
A synopsis tells us: "In Flight is set against the fast-paced, high-pressure world of global air travel and will follow Jo’s relentless quest to protect her family while entangled in a dangerous criminal syndicate."
'A high-stakes, stylish, romantic thriller'
Co-creators and writers Mike Walden and Adam Randall said: "In Flight is our spin on the noir genre - a high-stakes, stylish, romantic thriller with iconic characters and nerve-shredding action.
"Channel 4 is the perfect home for our story and we're so excited to be collaborating with such a brilliant team. Jo is a character close to our hearts. She is an ordinary woman facing extraordinary odds. We can't wait for audiences to meet her."
Who's in the cast?
Katherine Kelly leads the cast of In Flight as flight attendant Jo Conran, who finds herself being blackmailed into drug smuggling to protect her son.
TV viewers will know that Katherine made her name playing Becky McDonald in Coronation Street, before becoming one of the most bankable actresses on TV.
Nowadays, she's probably best known for playing Lady Mae Rennard in Mr Selfridge, Jodie Shackleton in Happy Valley, and Elizabeth Sutherland in Gentleman Jack. She's no stranger to a juicy thriller, either, having appeared in Liar, Innocent, Protection, and The Crow Girl.
Katherine Kelly said: "I am really excited to be taking on the role of Jo and I can't wait to tell her compelling story. I am delighted to be working with Buccaneer Media again and it's joy to be filming in Belfast."
Joining the ensemble cast are Jamestown actor Stuart Martin as Cormac, a key member of the criminal gang.
Meanwhile, Top Boy's Ashley Thomas stars as Dom, a customs officer at a major London airport, alongside Red Rose's Harry Cadby plays Sonny.
Lastly, The Stolen Girl actress Bronagh Waugh stars as Melanie, Heartstopper's Corinna Brown plays Kayla, and The Curse's Ambreen Razia is Zara.
How many episodes is it?
The drama series will be six episodes of 60 minutes each.
Channel 4 has not yet confirmed whether all episodes will stream at once, or if they'll make us wait like The Feud on Channel 5.
Where is Channel 4's In Flight set?
In Flight is "set across dynamic global locations" including Bangkok, Bulgaria, Istanbul and London.
Filming took place in Belfast with funding support from Northern Ireland Screen.
Rebecca Dundon, Executive Producer at Fremantle, said: "In Flight is a surprising, propulsive standout - a high-stakes action crime thriller that combines the intensity of international drug smuggling with the emotional depth of a mother's relentless quest to save her son.
"Set against the high-pressure world of global travel, this series offers a fresh, commercially powerful mix of suspense, sacrifice, and gripping drama. I couldn't put the script down, and audiences everywhere will feel the same."
When's the start date? How can I watch it?
Channel 4 has not yet confirmed the official start date for In Flight. However, filming started in November 2024, so we'd expect it to arrive on our screens at some point in 2025.
Watch this space for more info.
