'70s movie about a night flight during the Night of the Witches

Question

This was a horror/supernatural American movie from the '70, or not later than early '80s, that I saw as a child. Most likely, it was a TV movie.

During a nocturnal commercial flight, strange and scary things happen amongst the passengers. (I do not exactly recall what. Some are killed, for sure. This is why I'd like to find the name of the movie and re-watch it.) Then one of the passengers recalls that it's the "Night of the Witches" (Halloween?), the only night of the year when witches have supernatural powers, or something. Apparently, witches have decided to haunt the flight.

The captain therefore decides to turn the plane to flight toward East, to approach the sunrise and end the night as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the surviving passengers have arranged a small campfire (!) inside the aircraft, to banish the darkness. As the combustible becomes scarce, one of the wealthiest passengers throws a roll of banknotes in the fire.

At the end, the plane reaches the sunrise, and the remaining passengers are saved.

Answer 1

You're thinking of The Horror At 37,000 Feet (IMDB) from 1973. A flight from London to New York is disrupted by demonic forces. A wealthy architect is transporting a dismantled ancient abbey on the flight, and the forces are angry that their resting place has been disturbed.

The film was made for television and the cast includes several well-known names: Chuck Conners as the pilot, Buddy Ebson as the architect, Russell Johnson (better known as the professor in Gilligan's Island), and William Shatner as a disillusioned ex-priest.

The full movie is available on youtube. Here are some sections that relate to your description:

During a nocturnal commercial flight, strange and scary things happen amongst the passengers.

During the early part of the film, the airplane has trouble navigating due to unusually strong winds. A passenger hears strange noises through the in-flight music system and later shows signs of possession. Various ghostly effects--cold, darkness, mold--start to take over the back part of the passenger compartment.

The captain therefore decides to turn the plane to flight toward East, to approach the sunrise and end the night as soon as possible.

There's a discussion with the pilot about flying higher to meet the rising sun here.

As the combustible becomes scarce, one of the wealthiest passengers throws a roll of banknotes in the fire.

Around here the passengers get the idea of lighting a fire to ward off the demons. Buddy Ebson throws money on the fire right about here.

Answer 2

Could this be The Horror at 37,000 feet (1973), starring Will Shatner (who described the film in his autobiography as possibly one of the worst movies he ever made)?

An invisible demon in the cargo hold of a jet airliner terrorizes the passengers.

The scene with the burning money is linked below.