The movie is loosely based on the novel "Orbit" by Thomas H. Block, from 1982. In the novel, a hypersonic plane on a cruise from New York City to Sydney exceeds its cruise altitude, due to sabotage by a revenge-seeking company engineer.
Released theatrically in the UK and several other countries by Orion Pictures.
The logo for the Starflight airline bears a strong resemblance to that of Rockwell International, the company that constructed the Space Shuttle orbiters. The movie was released in 1983, two years after the first orbital shuttle mission.
Although it is not affiliated with Universal's highly successful Airport franchise, this film is sometimes referred to as Airport 1985.