A team of hijackers led by a mysterious Somali pirate known only as Atlas (David Oyelowo) commandeer a passenger jet as it prepares for take-off.

Their target: legendary U.S. newsman, Frank Saltzman (Greg Callahan) and his news crew, who find themselves held hostage and engaged in mortal battle with their captors. What, at first seems to be a simple ransom demand, slowly becomes something much more.

While the outside world's negotiations with the hijackers are thwarted at every turn and Saltzman attempts to uncover Atlas's true intentions, the hostages realize they can only rely on themselves to survive.