Putting work first, editor Jack Elgin (Jeremy Irons) reroutes his family's vacation to cover a story in India. However, his selfish decision comes back to haunt him when terrorists hijack their flight. Though their demands are met, the terrorists fire on the passengers, killing Elgin's wife and daughter. Elgin manages to survive and save his son, but after the attack he dedicates his life to justice and revenge. Meanwhile, an FBI agent (Forest Whitaker) also looks to bring down the terrorists.