Ultimate Airport Dubai (2013) s01e03 Episode Script

1
NARRATOR: Dubai International Airport,
one of the fastest-growing
airports on the planet,
and aiming to be number one.
Cleared for takeoff.
NARRATOR: But perfection is never easy.
Final call, Emirates to Sydney.
Gatwick, Amsterdam.
NARRATOR: More planes
The flight has departed.
(crying)
- NARRATOR: More passengers
- Absolutely ridiculous.
I need extra manpower
here at transfer desk.
NARRATOR: and massive
construction just to keep up.
So much scaffolding everywhere,
nothing is finished.
NARRATOR: It's nonstop.
(whistles)
If you don't love it,
it's just gonna kill you.
NARRATOR: 24/7.
I think it's stuck.
One, two, three, push.
NARRATOR: It's the job of 60,000
staff from all over the world
It's either you can deliver,
or you're out of the building.
NARRATOR: to make this
the ultimate airport.
NARRATOR: Dubai is one of
the fastest-growing cities on the planet,
perfectly positioned to be a global hub
serving every major airport in the world.
A hundred and fifty-six stands
demand strict turnaround times.
If planes overstay,
the airport will lock up.
It's the job of ground dispatchers
like Nizel Fernandes
to get aircraft loaded
with cargo and passengers
away and on time.
And with Emirates quickly
growing their fleet of A380s,
the world's largest passenger plane,
there's added pressure when an inaugural
flight needs dispatching.
Today we have our first 380
going down to Melbourne.
It's our inaugural 380 departure
to Melbourne,
and definitely it's going to be
an extra effort from our end.
Today we need to give 110%.
[shouts]
Johnny!
NARRATOR: With profit margins tight,
time is money for airlines.
A wayward item can destroy a schedule,
late pushback can mean
a missed takeoff slot,
and it can have a knock-on effect
delaying other flights.
We all run on that clock there.
Everybody, even the captain
is running on that clock.
It counts down from minus-60,
goes down to the departure time.
Our motto-- on time, every time.
NARRATOR:
The clock is ticking for Nizel
to get this enormous aircraft
loaded and off
on Emirates' first-ever
A380 flight to Melbourne.
My hour's already started.
It's now 52 minutes to departure.
NARRATOR: First to load-- the freight.
Cargo is valuable to an airline,
and each container is
meticulously detailed.
Here's what I have--
A notification to the captain.
It is called a load instruction report.
This shows me exactly where
what is loaded,
where exactly the priority baggage is,
where are the cargo units--
Everything is printed like this.
This will be given down to the team leader
downstairs who will start the loading.
Let's go.
NARRATOR:
Nizel spots a problem with the paperwork
on a sensitive piece of freight.
NIZEL: Apparently
the firearms were missing--
Not acceptable at all.
All paperwork has to be perfect.
So I just noticed it,
so I asked her to put it in.
NARRATOR:
A consignment of weapons has been loaded,
but it's not on the instruction report.
Airlines can legally
transport licensed guns,
unloaded, and in the hold.
They're acceptable on any Emirates flight,
but they need to be packed
and they need to be loaded
into a container
which is passed on
to the Melbourne station
so they know exact position,
captain knows, everybody knows about it.
NARRATOR: It costs Nizel vital minutes
reprinting the corrected
load instruction report.
Thirty-eight minutes to pushback.
Rush hour, rush hour.
We should-- We should
start the boarding shortly.
NARRATOR: He heads airside
and straight into another problem.
I'm missing two units of cargo.
NARRATOR:
Nizel needs to find this wayward cargo.
If the plane misses its takeoff slot,
it could be a long wait for another one.
Leaving late would be a big embarrassment
on the inaugural A380 to Melbourne,
for the dispatcher and the airline.
In Emirates' massive engineering center
on the far side of the airport,
an Airbus A330 is in for its C check,
a full maintenance overhaul
carried out every two years.
Panels and parts
have to be removed to be tested,
upgraded and, if necessary, replaced,
including the two five-ton
Rolls-Royce engines.
Now it's time to put it all back together.
Engine-fit and testing
is the responsibility of Daryn Howell.
A Rolls-Royce engine, the only engine
in the world that has a nipple.
Instead of big, complicated
heating systems,
it's just got this little bit of rubber
on the tip of the spinner.
If any ice forms, it will
wiggle it around a bit,
and it will break away
before it does any harm.
Just a little tiny bit of ice.
Not going to hurt at all.
NARRATOR: While Daryn's technicians
work on the Trent 700 engines,
other teams crawl all over this aircraft.
The goal-- get a safe plane airborne ASAP.
With deadlines looming, no one wants their
section to fall behind schedule.
Around now we all start
getting in each other's way.
We've had hydraulics running this morning,
pneumatics running this morning.
When you run one system,
you can't run the other system,
because you have people
working on other areas.
NARRATOR: The engine test
is three days away.
Even Daryn is aware of the pressure.
For the most part it's going okay.
Um, we're due for an engine run,
which is getting a bit close now.
NARRATOR: The brand-new
engine one is on target.
But it's a different story
on the other side of the plane.
Hey, Mr. Jumah.
Hello, Daryn. How you doing?
- Not bad, mate.
- Yeah.
DARYN: You haven't got an engine, mate.
JUMAH: Yeah, that's the thing.
NARRATOR: Engine two was removed
four weeks earlier
and taken to the mechanics department
for its overhaul.
Due back yesterday,
there's still no sign of it.
JUMAH: When it's ready
hopefully we can install it.
They're going to do it on the night shift?
Yeah, they say that it's supposed to be.
They say by 4:00 it's going to be here.
NARRATOR: This is a big problem.
Even the normally relaxed Daryn
is a bit worried.
We hoped to have the engine by last night.
We haven't got it yet.
If we don't get it, we're not going to
make the engine run in time,
and when the engine run slips,
everything slips along with it.
So that's not too flash.
NARRATOR: The engine test is looming.
Delays can cost thousands
of dollars a day.
Daryn needs to find his missing engine,
and fast.
In transfers,
Mel Sabharwal has just started her shift.
Late incoming flights are wreaking havoc
with lots of last-minute changes
to the departure gates.
Lots of gate changes going on.
(woman on PA, indistinct)
That's why you can hear
the announcements now.
I think so far we've had around
six or seven gate changes,
which is quite a lot,
and a lot of them are from one end of the
terminal to the other end of the terminal.
NARRATOR: In a huge terminal,
last-minute gate changes
can leave passengers
with a 900-meter trek
to find their planes.
And it's just getting worse for Mel.
We've got a flight coming in from Heathrow
which is approximately
two and half hours late.
Um, and it's got around 124 passengers
that have missed their onward connections.
NARRATOR: Over 100 people
need new flights,
with potential long layovers.
Some of them will be very, very upset,
so we've got to handle that,
or my teams have got to
handle their expectations.
NARRATOR: She and her team
position themselves to intercept.
We're going to make
another booking for you.
I missed it?
Yes, yes. So sorry about that.
Hyderabad connect,
which is gate 45. Am I still okay?
Yes, that's fine, yes.
Just proceed through security
and upstairs.
- And the gate will be fine?
- Yes.
NARRATOR: With 124 missed connections,
the problems are relentless.
- MEL: Riyadh?
- MAN: Yes.
We've got a flight in the morning.
Early morning.
But I have a flight
from Riyadh to Mallorca.
- Okay.
- What can I do?
They will sort out
your onward booking as well,
so just bear with us a few minutes,
and then they'll have a look
at the onward booking.
And I will stay here for three hours?
For-- It'll be longer than three hours.
It'll be about four or five hours.
- Was not my mistake.
- I know it's not your mistake.
- Nobody is saying it's your mistake.
- What can I do?
At this stage the only thing we can do
is have a look at your rebooking
and see what suits you.
That's the only thing we can do
at this stage.
Now I'll come back to you.
Let me just deal with the sick child here,
and I'll come back to you.
NARRATOR: Amongst the transit passengers
is a family whose child has fallen ill.
MAN: He said he was feeling sick.
- Okay.
- And he's got a bit of a cough.
- Okay.
- I'm not sure where our pram is.
We were told that we would find it
somewhere around here, but--
The pram normally gets--
Did you check it into the hold luggage?
No, we took it to the gate.
NARRATOR:
Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks' son, Sebastian,
started to get sick mid-flight.
We'll give you a baby stroller here,
but for the immediate concern,
I'll just get a medical team
just to check that he's okay.
Sure, okay.
So if you can bear with me.
And your wife's in the queue.
They're processing her
as quickly as we can.
Okay, thank you.
I initially didn't think
it was a cause for concern,
but then the mother mentioned
that he felt like he wanted to vomit,
and then I heard the cough,
and that was what alerted me.
Nino, can you call medical teams
to transfer desk Juliette?
MEL: It alerted me that we desperately
needed to get the medical teams down.
NARRATOR: Airport medics
are there in four minutes.
They aim to be anywhere
in the terminal within ten.
Airsickness on the flight, but his
temperature is really high as well.
- Did you give any medicine?
- He's had Calpol.
NARRATOR: Sebastian has a worrying fever,
nasty cough and nausea.
The guy's going to look--
Look in your mouth.
- Open, open.
- That's it, push it out again.
Open, open once, yeah.
Like this. Open. Ahh.
(gags and cries)
Ah, okay, he's suffering
from a sore throat.
NARRATOR: The family
face a 13-hour flight to Australia
and untold layover time in Dubai,
all with a sick child.
What time is the next flight?
We don't know.
We just missed our connecting flight
because of the delay out of London.
NARRATOR: Sebastian is headed straight
for the medical center.
That's fine. Leave the boarding cards,
I'll bring them through to the medical.
- You're coming here, right? This one here?
- Yeah, yeah.
All right.
NARRATOR: Airlines have strict policies
on sick passengers.
They don't want other travelers
to get infected,
and they don't want an emergency landing.
For everyone's safety,
Sebastian might find himself grounded.
NARRATOR: At stand F21,
Nizel Fernandes is having
a cargo nightmare.
In just 30 minutes,
this inaugural A380 Melbourne flight
must push back or risk
missing its departure slot.
But two cargo containers
haven't turned up,
and loading is behind schedule.
We have a lot of units down.
We hardly have any time.
Half an hour to go.
NARRATOR: It's up to Nizel
to keep on schedule,
but time is running out.
He calls in backup
from the airline's network control center.
I'm actually talking
to Network Control through this PDA.
I want to request
for a transporter, which is--
This equipment, it's called a transporter.
I want another one.
NARRATOR: Transporter ordered.
Twenty-nine minutes to pushback.
Nizel turns his attention
to the passengers.
The A380 is the world's largest
passenger airliner,
with a potential capacity for 853 people.
You can see that the boarding
has already started.
NARRATOR: Then news from network control
adds to the pressure.
Right now 80 passengers missing.
That's at the gate--
Not yet received at the gate.
But the passengers is what
I need to concentrate on.
NARRATOR: 26 minutes to go,
and this flight is heading for trouble.
Nizel must think ahead
to avert a late pushback.
He faces a painful decision--
Delay the plane until it's fully laden,
or depart on time without
all the passengers and cargo.
In transfers, Mel Sabharwal is stretched.
A late arrival has left
124 passengers in limbo,
among them, the Hendricks family.
Their son Sebastian fell ill suddenly
on the flight from London.
MEL: You could see the mother
and the father were really distressed,
so I just want make sure they're okay.
We have made a booking for them
at ten o'clock in the morning,
but I'm not certain
that's going to suit them,
so we might need to change
that booking again.
NARRATOR: Mel must rely on her team
to help the rest of the London passengers.
If Sebastian is deemed unfit to fly,
the family will be stranded in Dubai--
A nightmare for them, Mel,
and the airline.
This child has some spasms in his larynx.
A viral infection caused larynx spasms,
so we gave him some medicine
to relieve the spasms.
And he has a fever also,
so we gave him a suppository
to relieve fever.
NARRATOR: Sebastian has croup,
which in its severest form can be fatal.
His high temperature
and spasming larynx mean he cannot fly.
Any drop in cabin pressure could
restrict his ability to breathe.
He must stay under observation
until he has stabilized.
For now it's back to
the transfer desk for Mel.
If you can just join the queue here,
and my staff at the desk will assist you
with the other booking. Thank you.
NARRATOR: As the last of the passengers
are rebooked onto new flights,
nearly an hour after landing,
there's news from the medical center.
To everyone's relief,
Sebastian responded quickly to treatment
and is free to go.
- And how are you feeling?
- I'm shattered.
- Yeah, I can imagine.
- But he's okay. That's the main thing.
I'll just take you across to here.
We'll just do a rebooking for you.
NARRATOR: Mel has to find space for them
on a new flight to Melbourne.
Can you make a booking
for the flight for the 9th?
Sebastian, how are you feeling?
- Fine.
- Feeling better, yeah?
- MEL: Much better, huh?
- SEBASTIAN: Mm-hmm.
NARRATOR:
Mel has cleared the backlog.
Now all 124 passengers are onward bound,
including Sebastian and his family.
NARRATOR: Over at stand F21,
18 minutes until Emirates'
first A380 flight to Melbourne must leave.
But two containers of cargo
and 80 passengers are missing.
What's more, the loading of passengers
is behind schedule.
This could be enough to delay the flight.
Nizel takes decisive action.
I came in over here, and I opened up
another bridge for passengers to go in,
so we had a better flow of passengers.
Much quicker now.
The lounge is almost empty.
NARRATOR: 16 minutes to departure,
73 of the 80 missing passengers
have turned up.
We are missing about seven passengers.
I'm going to give them five more minutes,
and then we'll start our offloading.
NARRATOR: Nizel needs to identify
the missing passengers' bags
so they can be taken off
if they don't show.
While the operations team
scour the terminal,
a VIP passenger has arrived.
We have the Melbourne Cup
actually going in there.
I mean, I have always seen it in pictures.
This is something great.
NARRATOR:
This inaugural flight will be taking
Australia's most prestigious
horse racing trophy,
the Melbourne Cup, sponsored by
the airline, on its journey home.
It's 10:10, departure time,
and passenger ops have
rounded up the missing seven.
Everybody is on board. This is the last
passenger that is coming on now.
WOMAN: Nizel, are you ready to close?
The captain's feeling quite worried
we'll not get our slot time.
Yeah, so tell him I'll be coming back with
an update in five minutes. Yeah?
- Okay.
- Please, sir, come.
Hi, welcome aboard. How are you today?
NARRATOR: Passengers loaded.
It's just two minutes past
the pushback time,
but Nizel's dream of getting
this inaugural flight away on time
is shot to pieces.
They haven't finished loading the cargo.
There's just one, two, three, four, five,
six containers to go, and we're done.
Should be done in the next ten minutes.
NARRATOR:
And they're still missing one container.
Time for another painful decision.
We're going to go without it,
'cause I can't further delay
the flight just for one container.
NARRATOR: It's now 12 minutes past
the original pushback time,
and he has to do something
every dispatcher dreads--
Apologize personally
to the captain for the delay.
Captain, I'm so sorry about the mess.
Okay, well, we've got an hour's delay,
first slot.
NARRATOR: Failure to load
the cargo on time
has cost this flight its slot.
As often happens in aviation,
little delays can have big consequences.
Air traffic control
predict an hour's wait.
This can mean a late arrival
and discontented passengers,
everything Nizel wanted to avoid.
Sorry.
NARRATOR: Finally, Nizel gets a break.
A departure slot's been found.
The plane is on its way
just 33 minutes later than planned.
NARRATOR: In the engineering hangar,
Daryn Howell is missing
a $6 million jet engine.
In less than three days he has to test-run
both Trent 700s on this A330.
But you can't test a nonexistent engine.
DARYN: They tell us we'll get it,
but if we don't get it
we're in deep doo-doo, yeah,
'cause the date is set.
Test flight is set.
They'll be arranging crew soon.
They'll want an aircraft to fly,
and it's not gonna fly on one engine.
We're sweating on that.
Fingers crossed,
legs crossed, everything's crossed.
NARRATOR: If he misses the engine run,
the maintenance schedule slips,
potentially costing the airline
millions of dollars.
In desperation, Daryn decides he has to go
to the workshop himself.
Um, we're looking for an engine
for Alpha Quebec.
- Where is it? Point.
- Usually it's in the last row.
The last row? Okay.
There it is.
It looks a bit insignificant sitting here,
doesn't it, beside that monster.
That's a Trent 500.
I think he's telling me stories.
He said third engine along.
NARRATOR: This is the wrong engine.
DARYN: There's a Trent 700
for Echo Alpha Quebec.
Which one is it?
Where is it? (laughing)
- That one there.
- Oh, it's the one right at the front?
- Yeah.
- That's ours.
He told me it was the third one along,
and that's a Trent 500.
Yeah, no, no, no, this is it.
This is it here. This is ours?
Yeah.
Cool. Thanks, mate.
- It is ready, yeah?
- MAN: Yeah.
Thanks.
This is ours.
NARRATOR: It's the right type of engine,
but Daryn needs to check
the serial number to make sure it's his.
That's it-- 41213.
DARYN: They've been sweating on that.
If they get this up in time,
they'll still make the engine-run date.
If they make the engine-run date,
pretty sure they'll make
the departure date,
and that's what it's all about.
NARRATOR: This multimillion-dollar engine,
now reunited with its aircraft,
must be refitted and prepped
for a test run.
At a busy international airport
it's airside operations
who deal with everything
out on the runways.
From trash to parking planes,
it's a high-pressure, multi-skilled job
that involves driving across busy
and potentially dangerous active parts
of the airfield.
John Taylor is tasked with training
the latest intake of staff.
Okay, good morning.
How are you? Are you good?
NARRATOR: Today is driving test day.
John will assess whether they have what it
takes to navigate airside--
A dangerous place for the uninitiated.
JOHN: These guys are going to be driving
in between multimillion-dollar aircraft,
so we need to be 100% sure
they know exactly what they're doing,
what to do in an emergency,
and also that they've got the confidence
to drive out there.
NARRATOR: They've all had to pass a tough
theory test, but now it's the real thing.
Now we're going to get
to the practical side, the driving test.
You've got to have 360 vision. Okay?
Situational awareness is key out there.
Make sure you understand what
they're saying on the radio.
If you're not sure, you ask them.
You're going to be given
point-to-point routes.
So, Mr. Ali, we're going
to take you first.
- Don't be nervous.
- Okay.
Keep calm. Just relax.
Take it nice and easy.
Take it nice and steady.
Right, there's the keys.
All up to you now, mate.
NARRATOR: First up, Ali Qadeer.
John will ask him to drive
to a series of points around the airport.
On an airport 12.5 kilometers square,
Ali must negotiate everything airside,
while monitoring radio comms and
communicating with air traffic control.
If he fails,
it's a major setback in his training.
He can't qualify as an airside operations
controller without this driving license.
JOHN: Okay.
JOHN: Where do you think
that aircraft's going?
- It's going to Whisky.
- JOHN: Okay, how do you know that?
Because it's coming
straight ahead, presumably.
JOHN: What's the other way
you would know how he's going?
- To monitor the frequency.
- Okay, and what's not on?
- Sorry.
- Okay.
NARRATOR: Just minutes into the test,
not a good start--
The radio's not been switched on.
JOHN: Let's go from here,
we're gonna go on Kilo, eastbound,
Zulu three, Zulu, and hold B,
Foxtrot two-four.
- Okay.
- Okay?
So, Kilo. Sorry. Yeah, Kilo Zulu Six.
- No, Zulu three.
- Zero three.
Zulu, hold B in Foxtrot two-four.
NARRATOR: Now Ali's confused
the names of the taxiways on his route.
It's not going well.
Okay, you're gonna taxi out, so let's get
back onto Juliet and go Bravo four, okay?
ALI: Okay, sir.
NARRATOR: To get to his next destination,
Ali has to cross an active taxiway.
Okay, what taxiway is that aircraft on?
It is on Kilo.
- JOHN: So what are you gonna do?
- He's coming face-to-face on Zulu.
It's your decision, Ali.
What do you think?
NARRATOR: Ali must decide
how and when to cross.
His answer could be the difference
between pass or fail,
and the wrong answer
could risk an accident
between his vehicle and a jet
with hundreds of passengers on board.
NARRATOR:
Dubai International is in the middle
of an enormous expansion program.
Concourse A will be the world's
first purpose-built terminal
to accommodate A380s.
In 45 days Jumah Al-Mazrooie must deliver
this huge project to the airport.
He's concerned about a vital element
in any airport--
The departure gates.
We're headed to one of the gates--
One of the passenger gates
where we have a problem of the bridges,
glass are not completed on time,
and unless we have the glass in,
we can't do a trial with this gate,
we cannot do a training,
we can't do anything.
NARRATOR:
Before the concourse can open,
Jumah must conduct trials
to test the whole building,
including the 20 departure gates.
But if just one glass pane is missing,
the gate is unusable,
the trial can't happen,
the schedule will slip.
You know, we're having a problem.
You know, we're talking
about these glasses in here,
and unless all of it is available,
like this thing,
you can't really have a trial in here
while you have missing glass.
You have everything but this.
It's not serving the purpose.
And unless I have this one,
I can't really finish up everything.
NARRATOR: Jumah's concerned.
JUMAH: We are in the middle of November.
We've got only one month
and a half to finish up.
NARRATOR: Jumah summons
the managers responsible
for glass installation and construction.
Dave Reay Construction Manager
Ricardo Ortega Project Manager
These gates should be finished,
and no-nonsense Jumah
sets straight off on the inspection.
This is phase two, and unless--
Unless I have proper attention in this
area moving out, I can't do anything.
NARRATOR: The construction has to be over
before the installation
of furniture and equipment can begin.
A delay at this stage could
threaten the opening date.
You've got two days
to get all this glass in.
You haven't got a hope.
NARRATOR:
Each piece of glass in these gates
is unique, precision-made.
An inexact fit or any flaws,
and it can't be used.
Another must be ordered,
delaying the schedule by up to five days.
What about these glasses here?
Can I remove them?
Yeah, we are removing them.
We are breaking them,
and then we are removing them.
You can see them here.
NARRATOR: All these panels
of glass are rejects.
All are to be destroyed.
All of this for destruction?
Yeah.
NARRATOR: New panels need to be ordered.
More delays for Jumah's
struggling schedule.
The site visit is going from bad to worse.
JUMAH: I really feel bad for it.
I thought this was finished. This is
supposed to be given to us last week.
NARRATOR: They reach the last gate.
It, too, is supposed to be finished,
but one pane of glass is still not in.
JUMAH: Where is the missing glasses?
Where is it located?
- There, in the other side.
- JUMAH: In the top?
In the other side, you know, missing.
And when is it gonna be--
When is it coming?
It's coming in the afternoon,
at four o'clock.
JUMAH: What time is the afternoon?
Now we are afternoon. Now it's-- it's--
Four o'clock.
They are shifting to departures,
departures to arrivals.
Then we will install it.
We want to install it today.
Listen, what time is it now? 2:30.
- Four o'clock I'm coming back here.
- Okay.
I want to see it.
Or you tell me it's downstairs.
I'm going to go downstairs to see it.
I need this glass to be installed today.
RICARDO: No problem.
NARRATOR: Jumah has laid down the law.
Ricardo has just 90 minutes
to find the missing glass panes.
Wannabe airside operations controller
Ali Qadeer
is in the middle of his driving test.
It's not going well--
He forgot to switch his radio on
at the start,
and now he has to make a decision about
crossing this taxiway,
just as a Boeing 737 is approaching.
- So what are you going to do?
- I'll just wait.
NARRATOR: It may be the right decision,
but now John is concerned
about the distance between them
and the oncoming plane.
ALI: I'll just wait for the plane to pass.
Give yourself more of a gap. Okay?
That's fine where you are,
but you were continuing to go
closer and closer and closer.
Remember, he can't see--
He can see us. He can't see his wings.
So he wants to know
that you're well clear.
NARRATOR: A pilot can't see
every point on the plane.
Vehicles must leave a safe distance.
A collision, however minor,
could cost millions.
Ali's final destination,
a closed runway where John will further
test his communication skills.
ALI: Should I request to enter?
Just treat it as a live runway. Okay?
And you're calling up
for a runway inspection.
So I will inspect the runway?
ALI: What's our call sign?
JOHN: Call sign Training 2.
NARRATOR: It's vital he can clearly
identify himself to air traffic control.
His call sign is Training 2.
Dubai Tower, Airside Training 2.
CONTROLLER: Tower Airside, Training 2?
Okay, we're Training 2,
not Airside Training 2.
Oh, you just have to say "Training 2"?
That's our call sign, right?
But I have to inform them airside?
- No, you don't.
- Okay.
If your call sign's Training 2,
it's Training 2.
Okay.
NARRATOR: Ali keeps adding "airside"
to his Training 2 call sign.
ALI: Dubai Tower, Training 2.
CONTROLLER: Airside Training 2, Dubai.
Holding at Mike Alpha requesting to
enter Three Zero Right
for runway inspection.
"Airside Training 2."
NARRATOR: He's got it wrong again.
Mike Alpha proceed
runway Three Zero Right.
"Training 2."
Causes trouble with what we are doing,
saying "Airside Training 2."
Yeah, so it caused some confusion.
That's why you've got to make sure
that you use the right call sign, okay?
NARRATOR: Misinformation,
like the wrong call sign,
can cause confusion
for air traffic control
and result in delayed planes
or much worse.
Ali's made some dangerous mistakes
on this test.
Right, okay, how do you
think that went, Ali?
- Bad.
- Were you nervous?
- Little bit.
- Okay.
The whole point of this job is the safety
aspect, okay. Number one rule is safety.
I'd rather you were safe and slow
rather than fast and not too sure.
Your listening skills need
to get a little bit better.
You need to think before
you speak, look around you.
NARRATOR: It's a fail.
John can't allow any mistakes airside,
as it could put peoples' lives at risk.
We'll give you a little
bit more time, all right,
and then we'll reassess you
in about a month.
NARRATOR: Ali will
have to retake the test and pass,
or he won't fulfill his dream of becoming
an airside operations controller.
It was real disappointed for me,
because I thought I can do
much better than this.
But let's hope for the best, and I'll--
I'm sure when I come next time
I won't disappoint him.
NARRATOR: And in engineering,
the A330 is nearing the end
of its overhaul.
The missing Rolls-Royce engine has been
refitted, just in time for the test run.
Senior engineer Daryn Howell
oversees proceedings from the cockpit.
DARYN: We've got one new engine,
one reconditioned engine.
I think both are--
Well, the new engine is zero hours.
It'll be pretty good.
DARYN: You don't really know
until you start them,
but you'd anticipate
fairly good parameters from both.
NARRATOR: It should be a routine run.
Daryn is very relaxed.
He prepares the team to turn on
the two five-ton engines.
DARYN: There's a few
primary steps we take.
First one is the safety briefing.
- MAN ON RADIO: Yes.
- Yes, that should be okay.
Okay.
DARYN: He's requested the ground to have
a look around the intakes of the engines.
NARRATOR: Before the test can start,
the whole area must be clear.
Even the tiniest bit of trash
could be fatal for this $6 million engine.
DARYN: The engines pull in
quite a lot of air.
It's a fairly high level of suction.
We don't want anything that
could be drawn into the engine,
because if we draw foreign objects into
the engine, they damage the blades,
and they can cause quite a lot
of trouble with the engine.
NARRATOR: Even though the plane
is not taking off or even moving,
engineer Santoush Moray needs clearance
from air traffic control
to start the engines.
Good afternoon, Dubai Ground.
It's Emirates Alpha Quebec.
CONTROLLER: Alpha Quebec Dubai
Alpha Quebec is a 330 aircraft
right now in front of hangar Alpha
requesting a permission to do an idle run.
Duration, 15 minutes. Thank you.
CONTROLLER: Alpha Quebec, idle approved.
Thanks. Starting number one.
Ignition start.
- DARYN: Auto start.
- (engine whirring)
We're doing fine. That engine's good.
NARRATOR: The engine's
26 titanium fan blades
rotate at around
4,000 revolutions per minute.
Fuel, air and hydraulic fluid
course through the aircraft,
and onto the ground.
There is a small trace of leak.
- SANTOUSH: It's leaking.
- MAN ON RADIO: Yes.
SANTOUSH: Okay, can you understand
from what exactly is the leak?
MAN ON RADIO: It's a hydraulic leak
on engine number one.
A hydraulic leak.
NARRATOR: The problem is
with the brand-new engine.
You can see the level
has gone down over here.
Yeah.
I want you to shut down engine number one.
NARRATOR: The engine is shut down.
Hydraulic fluid hemorrhages
from the aircraft.
A test run is designed
to uncover these problems.
An engine leak in the air
could be catastrophic.
Let's see what's really going on here.
NARRATOR: Even though it looks dramatic,
Daryn isn't worried.
(speaking foreign language)
Hello, mate. Let's see
what's happening, yeah?
MAN: Over here.
Towards the pump.
The connection towards the pump there.
- This one or this one?
- These, both.
- These ones?
- Yeah.
NARRATOR:
The engine test has done its job.
If it's a loose connection,
it'll simply be tightened or torqued.
Well, that explains it, 'cause he reckoned
he actually did torque this up.
- They found this loose, did you?
- Yeah.
There's the culprit.
One loose, uh, hydraulic connection
managed to get the leak showing up.
Lucky it did.
Now we'll torque that correctly
and refill the hydraulics
and do another run.
NARRATOR: They can do the job
on the spot, avoiding delays,
but the real test will be the test flight.
At the construction site on Concourse A,
Ricardo Ortega is tracking down
a vital piece of missing glass.
It's now 3:25 and he has
promised his boss, Jumah Al-Mazrooie,
it will be here at 4:00 p.m.
Please tell me, where is this glass?
He says it has already left
from the factory.
The truck with more glasses,
but that exact glass is on the truck.
So, okay. (exhales)
I am breathing a little bit only.
Only a little bit.
NARRATOR: The glass
has now left the factory,
but Jumah is arriving in 35 minutes.
It's going to be tight.
Once it arrives, Jumah has dictated
it must be installed today.
Fix this one. This one manually.
When you finish this one,
prepare everything. Okay?
The mini crane to fix the other glass
that is coming now.
At 4:00, 4:15
it's coming from the factory.
Our logistic people will bring it. Okay?
And today we have to finish it
by nine o'clock.
We cannot leave from here.
We have to fix it today. Okay?
Thank you, guys.
And be careful with this one.
Don't break it, eh?
NARRATOR: Installation team briefed,
Ricardo has every person
in logistics searching for the glass
for the moment it arrives
on the building site.
Please check just when the truck arrives.
Please call me. Okay?
NARRATOR: Time's up. No glass.
It's three to 4:00.
The only good news is
the glass is on the way.
NARRATOR: Ricardo heads back to the gate,
where he's expected to meet Jumah.
Ten past 4:00, he finally gets a break.
My logistic guy is calling me,
telling me where is maybe the glass,
if the truck is here.
Is here?
Okay, perfect. Thank you very much.
NARRATOR: The glass is officially on site,
15 minutes late.
- He calls Jumah.
- (line rings)
- JUMAH: Hello?
- Hello, Jumah, good afternoon.
Good afternoon, Ricardo.
What happened to my glass? Is it done?
Okay, right now I got the call
from my logistic guy
that the glass arrived right now, so
NARRATOR: Jumah needs
the gate finished to start his trials.
Is it going to be installed today?
Today without any fault, yes.
Okay, good.
Tomorrow morning I'm coming here early
morning just to check the glass.
Okay, welcome. Bye-bye.
NARRATOR:
Ricardo has had a stay of execution.
Sixteen hours to fit the glass
before Jumah returns.
When this gate is finished, it will be
just one of 20 in the finished concourse.
But there are still plenty
of other headaches for Jumah,
and just 45 days to sort them.
It's closed. You see, this is one of
the problems we got.
NARRATOR: In engineering, the A330
is nearing the end of its overhaul.
Both engines are now installed
and have passed a test run.
No leaks.
But before senior engineer Daryn Howell
can release it back into service,
it has one final check-- a test flight.
To be ready for the flight, Daryn needs to
have all the supporting paperwork
showing what work has been done.
No pilot will fly a plane without it.
Any single piece of documentation
that's not completed fully, correctly,
will stop the test flight.
The paper plane is just as important
as the real plane.
Neither one goes without the other.
NARRATOR: Paperwork in order,
and the plane can go on
its rigorous test flight.
Putting it through its paces
is Captain Francois Brand.
Both the engines have been removed from
the aircraft. They replaced that.
And that is our main focus today,
is to check the operation
of the engines today.
NARRATOR: Engine one is brand-new,
and engine two is fresh
from mechanical overhaul.
But Francois will push them both
to their limits.
From a pilot's point of view,
this, for us, is very exciting,
because we actually get to do things
we don't do in normal-day flying,
and we feel like pilots again.
NARRATOR: The most important check
on the new engines
will be the slam test at 20,000 feet.
Fail, and the plane cannot
return to service.
We throttle the engine back
so that that engine comes back
to idle all the way,
and then we actually slam
the throttle forward,
we make sure the engine spools up,
catches up all the way
to the full power it should have,
and then once it's there, we bring it all
the way back to idle again.
Cleared for takeoff, 301.
Stay on your frequency.
Okay, cleared for takeoff.
- Takeoff.
- COPILOT: Check.
NARRATOR: The testing starts immediately.
Usually planes
don't need the engines on full power.
- COPILOT: Thrust set.
- FRANCOIS: Check.
NARRATOR: For this test,
unlike a normal flight,
they will take off at full throttle.
- 100 knots.
- Check.
COMPUTER: V-1.
- COPILOT: Rotate.
- FRANCOIS: Check.
- FRANCOIS: Gear up.
- COPILOT: Gear up.
(beeping)
Check, yeah.
- Right, engine number one.
- Confirmed.
NARRATOR: 20,000 feet,
the moment of truth
for Daryn and his engineers.
- All the way back to idle.
- Check.
Slam open.
NARRATOR: Francois forces the engine
from idle to maximum.
Yeah, there we go, full way, all the way,
and coming full back again.
NARRATOR: It must get
to full power in seconds,
vital if the plane were ever to need
to safely abort a landing.
Check.
Everything set for the right-hand side.
Check.
Nice and stable, right.
Slam open.
Check.
- And all the way back again.
- Check.
You can see the aircraft
being rolled there.
Stabilizing.
NARRATOR: Daryn will have to wait until
they're safely back on the ground
to find out how his engines
have performed.
COMPUTER: Approaching three, zero left.
Okay, cleared to land three, zero left.
COMPUTER: 100.
50, 40, 30, 20--
Retard, retard, re--
Ten. Five.
NARRATOR:
Daryn is anxious for the results.
Hi there. How you doing?
Engine number one is a bit of a dodgy one.
(chuckles)
- (laughs)
- You're kidding.
(laughs) Okay, I can't keep
a straight face much longer.
(laughs)
No, for your information,
it's really good.
Really performed pretty well.
I'm sure you saw the takeoff as well.
I'm sure you all witnessed
that it performed very nice.
- Looked all right on takeoff.
- So, um, that's it.
As far as the test flight for
the engine check is concerned, perfect.
We knew it'd be all right,
but still glad to hear it.
(laughs) Excellent.
- All right, mate, thanks a lot.
- FRANCOIS: Perfect.
NARRATOR: The plane will return
to active service on schedule.
DARYN: It's great to be heading back
to the hangar
after the test flight's gone so well.
Now we'll just wrap her up
and we'll be ready for the next one.
Captioned by Pixelogic Media