Newly paroled ex-con and former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe finds himself trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control.
 
This, Face/Off (1997) and The Rock (1996) are considered by many Nicolas Cage fans to be his "Holy Trinity" of action films.  "That's High Praise!"
 
FUN FACT:  John Cusack considers "Con Air" a bad movie and hated the time he spent working on it (so much so that he barely remembers it). Cusack only did it, one, because of the money, and two, to use as leverage in order to make his own indie passion projects.