John Travolta will make his directorial debut at the age of 72, with his new film "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" set for a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the festival said on Thursday.

The film is an adaptation of Travolta's 1997 book of the same name. The festival said Travolta, a long-time aviation enthusiast, began flying at 15 and obtained his first pilot's licence at 22.

"Propeller One-Way Night Coach" tells the story of a boy and his mother on a flight journey and was inspired by Travolta's passion for flying.

Travolta's daughter Ella Bleu is among the cast and plays a flight attendant. The film is due to debut globally on Apple TV on May 29, after its Cannes premiere.

Travolta shot to stardom in 1977 with his role as Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever," which earned him his first Oscar nomination. He also enjoyed major success with the 1978 musical film "Grease."

The actor is no stranger to Cannes. Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," in which Travolta played hitman Vincent Vega, won the Palme d'Or at the festival in 1994.

This year's Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to run from May 12 to 23.