Katherine Kelly to star in new Channel 4 thriller, In Flight

Filming has begun on In Flight, an intense new crime thriller produced by Buccaneer (Marcella, Crime, The Burning Girls) for Channel 4. This six-part, one-hour drama series is penned and co-created by Mike Walden (Marcella, Whitstable Pearl) and Adam Randall (Slow Horses, iBoy), with Chris Baugh (Wreck, Tin Star) directing.

At the center of the story is Katherine Kelly (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, The Long Shadow), starring as Jo Conran, a flight attendant and single mother whose life takes a dark turn when she’s blackmailed into drug smuggling to protect her son, who is imprisoned abroad. Jo’s son, wrongfully convicted and serving a fifteen-year sentence in Bulgaria, has attracted the attention of a gang that uses her vulnerability to coerce her into transporting narcotics. As Jo navigates a treacherous world of corruption and violence, she becomes entangled with crooked cops and ruthless criminals, fighting to keep her son alive despite being drawn further from her former life.

In Flight explores the high-stakes, high-speed environment of international air travel, following Jo’s desperate struggle to shield her family while deep within a global criminal syndicate.

Katherine Kelly, said, “I am really excited to be taking on the role of Jo and I can’t wait to tell her compelling story. I am delighted to be working with Buccaneer Media again and it’s joy to be filming in Belfast.”

The cast also includes Stuart Martin as Cormac, a central figure in the gang; Ashley Thomas as Dom, a customs officer at a London airport; and Bronagh Waugh, Harry Cadby, Corinna Brown, and Ambreen Razia in key supporting roles.

Set against a backdrop of vibrant international locations like Bangkok, Bulgaria, Istanbul, and London, filming takes place in Belfast with support from Northern Ireland Screen.