Mike Fillis of "TV Zone" and "Cult Times" magazines considers the episode a "tour de force" and a series highlight, describing the story as "riveting" and the bomb plot as "very topical". Stuart Galbraith IV of DVD Talk likens the premise to "an airborne version of "Speed"". Marcus Hearn praises the episode's suspense and "extraordinary" effects. He also notes its "fast-paced Hollywood style" and focus on nuclear danger, describing it as a "topical spectre that would become a preoccupation in future episodes." Jon Abbott of "TV Zone" judges the tension "of feature-film quality" but also comments that "the total lack of security for the "Fireflash" nags at the viewer." He calls the idea of a nuclear-powered aircraft "wonderfully pointless", adding that it "could only have been dreamed up in the '60s, when science was unquestioned and the possibility of building something so silly always outweighed any safety considerations."