Mayday was reviewed by Brian Lowry for Variety; he said: "Although "Mayday" is based on a bestselling novel, it's hard to escape the distracting sense that it feels like a sober-minded update of "Airplane!," what with a weekend pilot and attractive stewardess forced to land a wounded plane filled with incapacitated passengers."Lowry, Brian. "Review: ‘Mayday’." Variety, September 28, 2005. Retrieved: December 22, 2015.
