How far would you go to protect your child?
That’s the dilemma that soap star Katherine Kelly faces in Channel 4’s new nerve-shredding drama.
In Flight comes from the creatives behind hit shows Marcella and Slow Horses, with the drama unfolding across Europe.
Here’s all you need to know about In Flight and its filming locations.
What is In Flight about?
The opening episode sees flight attendant Jo (The Crow Girl’s Katherine Kelly) travel to Sofia, Bulgaria to help her son when he’s arrested and charged with murder.
Months later, and while the trial in Bulgaria continues, Jo is tracked down by criminals who blackmail her into smuggling drugs in exchange for keeping her son alive in prison.
As she deceives colleagues and loved ones, and breaks her own moral compass, Jo is pushed to extreme lengths.
But in true crime drama style, nothing is as it first seems and everything begins to unravel around Jo.
Where was In Flight filmed?
The drama spans across Europe, from Istanbul hotels to Bulgarian prisons and numerous airport terminals, but was primarily filmed in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland.
‘We looked beyond the atypical architectural style a city is known for and found what is not Belfast,’ producer Brendan Mullin tells Time Out.
‘To stop, look at what the city offers, and search out styles that would play for the locations we needed and what was interesting through the lens of a TV show.”
Ulster University doubled as multiple airports
Jo’s dual career as a flight attendant and drug smuggler sees her travel through many airports, with Ulster University standing in for several international terminals.
The original Ulster campus was used as the arrivals hall for Sofia Airport, while the more modern parts of the campus were used for Bangkok Airport. Signage and advertising screens were used to replicate a real airport terminal.
Belfast International Airport allowed the production to use a check-in desk area dressed to resemble Istanbul airport.
A disused TK Maxx was used for nail-biting customs scenes
At the end of episode one, Jo is forced to smuggle drugs through the customs checks.
Production used a derelict TK Maxx store for these scenes. ‘It had escalators and two levels we could utilise and gave us great scope for moving around the airport,’ says Mullin.
‘It was completely empty and provided the opportunity for the onsite construction of the customs exit into arrivals, the restrooms and we hired in a baggage carousel.’
Airport lounges doubled up as luxury hotels
The crew used airport lounges for scenes set in hotels. The Hilton Belfast was used as the first class lounge in Bangkok Airport.
‘There were several parallels in the design we could use alongside dressing and airport departure screens,’ says Mullin.
Belfast locations were used as Bulgaria’s prison and hospital
Corpus Christi College, a disused school in Belfast, served as Sofia Prison where Jo’s son is incarcerated. It also doubled up as Hospital interiors.
Crumlin Road Gaol was also used for Sofia prison and Rosemary Street Masonic Hall doubled as the Sofia courthouse. Producers chose these locations because they both had the right inherent architectural style for eastern Europe.
Elsewhere in the city, Ulster Sports Bar doubled as a Sofia pub, and the city’s Writers Square was used as the backstreets of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
A bar in Belfast doubles up as food market in Thailand
Scenes set in a Thai Market were filmed in Belfast in a bar that was a favourite haunt of the producer in their university days.
Set dressing, clever framing, and use of a crane shot were utilised, with a sprinkling of VFX magic to put the Bangkok cityscape in the background.
Belfast’s streets double up as London
External shots of city streets filmed in Belfast double up as London, but also were used in some scenes actually set in Belfast itself.
Who is in the In Flight cast?
Soap icon Katherine Kelly leads the cast of In Flight as Jo, the flight attendant who is pushed into criminal activity to save her son.
The actress shot to fame in Coronation Street, with other roles in Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack, and Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
Stuart Martin (Babylon) takes on the role as Cormac, leader of the criminal gang that blackmails Jo into drug smuggling.
Ashley Thomas (Black Mirror) plays customs officer Dom, who was previously in a relationship with Jo and comes to be one of her closest allies.
Rounding out the In Flight ensemble are Bronagh Waugh as Melanie, Harry Cadby as Jo’s incarcerated son Sonny, Corina Brown portraying Kayla, and Ambreen Razia as airline colleague Zora.
When is In Flight on TV and streaming?
Episodes air nightly on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings for the next two weeks.
All six episodes of In Flight are available to watch now on the Channel 4 streaming service.
Is there a trailer for In Flight?
Check out the clip below for a taste of the action.