Ultimate Airport Dubai (2013) s01e05 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 going to 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.
An airport the size of Dubai International
needs to run like clockwork.
Staying on time is critical to the smooth
running of this 24-hour operation.
Delay in any department
has major consequences
throughout the whole airport.
This applies more to air traffic control
than anywhere else.
With 140 airlines flying to over 260
destinations from only two runways,
air traffic control
has to keep it all flowing smoothly.
Emirates 55, stay with me,
wind 1,605 knots,
clear takeoff, 3-0 Right.
One minus frequency, wind 180 degrees.
NARRATOR: It's the middle
of the early morning rush
with the late-night turnarounds
waiting to depart.
(radio chatter)
NARRATOR:
Air traffic controllers have to manage
planes in the air and on the ground.
7-0 B.
NARRATOR: It's a highly stressful job
that requires the ability
to make critical decisions under pressure.
Tess Toogood, an experienced
air traffic controller,
is handling all ground movements.
It's learning how to take 3D and
and turn it into 4D
and the fourth one is time.
And so when you're working,
um, in your mind
you're always planning ahead
one minute, two minutes, three minutes.
Where will all those aircraft be then?
NARRATOR: A plane has just landed
with technical difficulties.
Emirates 39, okay, emergency in progress.
I'll get back to you
in about two or three minutes.
They had smoke showing from behind,
not quite sure where it's from,
maybe a tire, maybe something else.
So he's holding on the taxiway,
the fire trucks are coming out to have
a closer look, see what's happening.
(chattering)
NARRATOR: As more information comes in,
fire is quickly ruled out.
As the aircraft touched down,
he burst a tire,
and so he managed to
come off of the runway
and then is held just off the runway.
You don't want them to taxi very far,
in case there is
a lot of debris coming off.
NARRATOR: Fortunately, in this instance,
all passengers and crew are safe,
but the runway might not be.
If he's left debris on the runway,
say a burst tire
that's shredded everywhere,
then it's a bigger problem.
NARRATOR: Debris on runways
can cause accidents.
It can be sucked into jet engines,
causing damage and even fires.
The runway is shut down,
and its closure will have a big impact
on all airside operations.
So we've gone to single runway
so that we have time to do
a thorough runway check.
(radio chatter)
Emirates 107, we just have a closed runway
due to emergency aircraft
so we're just going down
to single runway now.
I'll call you back
in a few minutes when we're sorted.
NARRATOR: A shredded tire means
the possibility of rubber on the runway.
The airside operation team have been
called to carry out an inspection.
(radio chatter)
Emirates 15, okay,
we just have to go down to single runway.
We've had a bit of a problem
and there'll be delays now.
So probably about ten minutes.
NARRATOR: With landing intervals
averaging three minutes,
planes will now need to circle
and wait for the one remaining runway
to become available.
Tess can't keep them waiting for long.
TESS: We don't have
a very large airspace here,
so if we send a few around,
they start mixing with the rest
of our arrivals and we get too many.
They can't really hold in our airspace
so that means that the two holding bays
we have in the air
just outside our airspace
will fill up very quickly.
So if you can look at our stacks,
if you go out on the radar
you can see how full they're getting.
NARRATOR: At one of the busiest airports
in the world,
operating with just one runway
causes real pressure.
So because we've had a runway closure,
there'll be maybe ten to 15 minutes
for the runway closure,
it backs up our departures.
So as the departures back up
we're gonna get big delays.
At the moment there's only five waiting,
but it snowballs quite quickly.
It's a heavy departure time of day.
NARRATOR: Getting the runway operational
is out of Tess's hands.
TESS: Meanwhile the runway
is being checked by a couple of vehicles.
They're out there
picking up all of the debris.
When they clear it
and tell us the runway's back,
we'll go back to two-runway operation.
Emirates 87, thanks for waiting,
hold position, contact ground 11835.
MAN (on radio): Can we move up
in the queue then?
TESS: Yeah, I'll put you
in my queue, thanks.
You're number five at the moment.
MAN: Sounds good, Emirates 151.
707, thanks.
Hold position, just stay with me.
(radio chatter)
NARRATOR: After a 15-minute delay,
Tess finally gets the news
she's been waiting for.
Affirm, yep, both runways are now open.
Crossing now.
NARRATOR: It'll take Tess half an hour
to get the backlog of departures cleared.
Some days are very by the book
and a bit dull.
But most of the time you sit in the right
seat, you can have a lot of fun.
Cross runway 3-0 Right and pop 2-Echo-6.
NARRATOR:
85% of Dubai's population is expatriate,
coming from over 200 countries worldwide.
And today is the beginning
of the Christmas migration home.
It's one of the busiest days
in the airport's history.
Wow, this is busy.
NARRATOR: As airport services manager,
it's Mel Sabharwal's job to ensure
this exodus makes it through the airport
to their departure gates
in time for boarding.
17,000 transfer load this morning
coupled with 11,000 joining
is quite a number.
NARRATOR: That's 28,000 passengers
in the morning rush.
MEL: A lot of activity here today.
I want to make sure that
everything's running smoothly.
Have a look
at the passenger list of missing,
and ask the DTL to off-load.
We've got some congestion
in the baggage systems as well,
so that's gonna have
an impact on the operation.
I'm starting to get a little bit worried.
Let's have a look for you.
NARRATOR: Minutes later, Mel has to deal
with her first passengers of the day,
a family with young children.
MAN: This is the way to treat passengers?
We can't even hear the announcements.
NARRATOR: The gate for their flight
to Mumbai has just closed,
but the plane is still on the tarmac
and isn't scheduled to take off
for another seven minutes.
The flight is not gone.
We require you to be at the gate
20 minutes before departure time.
- But we are walking and walking.
- We tried our best.
I know you did your best.
- The queues out there are so long.
- So long.
I know, it's a very, very busy day.
WOMAN: Please, ma'am Please, ma'am.
MEL: We are check--
Okay, you're not allowing me to speak.
The flight has departed.
(crying)
WOMAN: How can you say
the flight has gone?
MEL: I can only hear
one person, all right?
Just give us a few minutes.
We'll see what we can do.
NARRATOR: Mel turns detective to find out
why these passengers arrived late.
Was there a gate change on this flight?
MAN: No.
No gate change?
WOMAN 2: No more, no more.
And what time was the check-in done?
These passengers had cleared through
the scanning process
at check-in at 8:30,
so if we allow for the congestion,
it really doesn't give them
enough time to get to Concourse C.
NARRATOR: Mel establishes that the
passengers were not late checking in,
so it might be down to congestion.
MEL: Sometimes you might get scenarios
that are quite heart-rendering
and you can fully understand
the situation of the person involved.
It's always very,
very important that you remain calm.
MEL: I have an option for you
in four hours.
Do you wish to take that option?
This flight has departed.
MAN: Having bags and babies,
how can you expect the customer to go out
there, walk, and come back down here?
- Why do-- No reason at all.
- MEL: I understand, sir.
- I totally understand.
- MAN: No, no way.
(crying)
Okay.
Let me give you the option
to travel on the next flight.
Do you wish to take that option?
We don't have any other option, right?
Okay?
Do you want to take a seat inside here,
and we'll start your processing.
This is not fair.
- I will never come again by Emirates.
- MEL: Okay.
This is not fair.
Please have a seat.
How it can happen like this?
How can the flight go
without taking the passengers?
MEL: Based on the circumstances,
and because she's traveling with children,
and based on the timings
that are in the system
we're going to accommodate her
on the afternoon flight.
We're kind of shocked
to see the queues here.
We never expected-- We've traveled
through this airport before.
And we are walking
towards our destination,
not that we're wasting anytime.
We've missed our flight.
It's very sad, though.
Okay, which flight?
We've got your next boarding cards
for your next flight,
so the first thing I need you to do
is just to check that
you've got all your passports.
NARRATOR: Two minutes later Mel's called
to deal with another passenger,
who has missed her flight to Dakar.
It's too late. Off-load it.
Off-load it.
You've missed your flight.
The time, 9:55.
How to do now?
Now you have to make
another booking for the next flight.
- Where?
- In the transfer desk.
- Transfer desk area.
- We'll guide you to the transfer desk.
Where?
I will guide you to the transfer desk.
This lady on the cart,
I tell him, "Help me."
She don't help me.
MEL: That's a shame.
I tell him,
"Help me, help me, my flight will go."
MEL: Did you come in from anywhere,
or you came from Dubai?
I came far from Jeddah.
From Jeddah, okay.
Right, well let's get
a booking done, yeah?
Will you guide her to transfers?
NARRATOR: Mel thinks that
the problem is not airport congestion
but the passenger's sense of direction.
Well, she's not found her way
because her flight is, uh,
boarding through Concourse B,
and she's ended up in Concourse C.
We have to go together to the other side
to make for your new booking.
- Yes, okay.
- (indistinct)
MEL: She'd actually only crossed through
the screening area outside of check-in
at 9:12 to be exact,
so that gives her only 15 minutes
to reach her gate,
and obviously she's not
going to make that in 15 minutes.
NARRATOR: But Mel decides
to exercise discretion
and organizes a seat on the next flight
to Dakar, leaving tomorrow morning.
We will bring you tomorrow morning.
Thank you, sir.
It's my job to prioritize and to assess
and to evaluate and see what
the next course of action is.
NARRATOR: For this passenger,
Mel has arranged a complimentary night
at the airport hotel.
NARRATOR: Fifty-seven million passengers
travel through
Dubai International Airport every year.
That's a potential
6,000 passengers an hour,
all needing clear direction
to their departure gates.
Today every single one of the 750 gate
signs in the three terminals
is going to be changed from numbers
to letters and numbers.
And because Dubai is open 24 hours a day,
it all has to happen while the airport
is fully operational.
If it goes wrong, passengers may be
confused, lost, and miss their flights.
The man in charge
of the operation is Mazhar Butt.
Right, good morning, everybody.
- ALL: Good morning.
- MAZHAR: Great.
Thank you very much for coming today.
It's a historic day for Dubai Airports,
because I don't think
any other large airport in the world
would even attempt to do
what we're doing today.
We're gonna change close to 800 signs
in about eight hours
in a live airport operation.
NARRATOR: Any passenger confusion
during the sign change
could lead to chaos.
100 extra personnel have been enlisted
to ensure passengers
have the assistance they need
if things don't go exactly to plan.
MAZHAR: Their duties today
will be, specifically,
to make sure all passengers understand
where their gates are,
and if they are confused about the gates,
they'll make sure
they can give them some information,
give them a map
and guide them to their gate.
(chattering)
NARRATOR: Tim Woodstock
is Mazhar's number two.
It's his job to liaise with the teams
on the ground
and keep Mazhar up to date with progress.
Into the teams, you take away all
your teams, and Khalil may help you.
No hiccups so far,
looks like we've got things on plan.
Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed.
NARRATOR: It's an operation
that needs to be managed meticulously.
What we should do is start recording
everything on the maps here.
MAN: Yeah, we could do yeah.
MAZHAR: We can
go through the map bit-by-bit,
watch progress to find out
where the issues are
and direct the team out there.
Keep it simple.
We've got a plan. Let's follow the plan.
Good enough to go, isn't it?
Straightforward enough.
You know, we've planned it
to the nth degree now.
Not much more we can do, is there?
Right, so good luck, guys. Let's do it.
I hope we're all up for it.
NARRATOR: Research has shown
that combined letters and numbers
is easier to follow than numbers only.
The switchover has to happen
as quickly as possible,
so passengers don't get confused
between the old and the new signs.
But there's a catch.
First they remove the old number signs,
then they attach
the new letter and number signs,
and finally, they stick on
temporary old ones.
As soon as the teams
get the green light from Mazhar,
the old signs can be ripped off
to reveal the new ones.
TIM: When the systems all change over,
we literally
just have to reveal that sign,
and then within a matter of seconds,
that sign is then changed
from old content to new.
NARRATOR: With the CEO
of Dubai Airport, Paul Griffiths,
checking on progress, the team
is under real pressure to deliver.
PAUL: We thought, for customers
who don't perhaps travel that often,
much easier to memorize
an alpha letter and two numbers.
So A12 is easier than 312.
So, Maz, all going--
All going to plan, touch wood.
PAUL: Excellent.
This has the feel of bandits 100 plus,
you know, about it, doesn't it?
It's a real sort of war room here.
Lovely. Great news.
In a live environment
there is no second chance here.
We can't suddenly stop airplanes
arriving and departing.
So somehow the team
have got to get this away
and get it done
in the shortest possible time.
If we get a glitch,
then the knock-on impact could be massive
and very quick to build up.
MAZHAR: They all know
what they have to do.
They should be working as per the plan
in their allocated zones.
If you can just give me
a quick update every 15, 20 minutes.
NARRATOR: Just as Mazhar is about to
go live with the signage switchover,
up in HQ
And do you want to keep the one in C1,
or do you want to put
some in C1 and some in C2?
NARRATOR: he gets a call
from Tim Woodstock
informing him that one of the crews
responsible for changing the signs
has gone missing.
If this-- They should be there by now.
Why aren't they there?
They should be there by now.
Okay, um, well, there's no
They've all gone for their breaks,
and they were supposed to
come back to C1 straightaway.
What about all the signs down the middle,
'cause that should be
happening right now as well?
NARRATOR: Unless Mazhar
gets his crews back quickly,
his carefully planned operation
could miss the deadline.
Dubai International is expanding
to accommodate 15 million more passengers.
They need a new concourse,
and they need it quickly.
This $3.2 billion building is the answer.
Keeping up to
17,000 construction workers on-track
to deliver it within a demanding schedule
calls for a tough, no-nonsense boss.
Morning!
NARRATOR: Suzanne Al Anani.
The west should be finished,
then from the center going east.
You know, all these panels
around the escalators
and all the stainless steel
and bits and pieces
NARRATOR: With the completion date
under a month away,
Suzanne has called in the main contractors
to check the build schedule is on target.
Okay, how How long it will take you
to finish installation?
MAN: In three to four weeks,
we should be
Three to four weeks?
Yes, this is our target,
but obviously
this is a conservative target,
and we'll try to finish earlier than that.
SUZANNE: No, no, no.
Everybody, honestly now,
there is no more room
to hide things, you know.
We have to finish.
NARRATOR:
Suzanne decides to see for herself.
It's the final push.
It's really the final push.
Sometimes, you know,
you have to apply pressure
and disregard the human factor.
Sometimes you have to be
very sympathetic with them.
You know, you have to try so many tactics
to reach your goal finally,
you know, completion.
NARRATOR: Right now
Suzanne's main concern is the first floor.
But the escalator isn't working.
Here we start. How many times we said
this should remain operational?
NARRATOR: First stop for Suzanne
is the retail and restaurant area
This is the Shake Shack.
NARRATOR: where construction
seems to be at a standstill.
SUZANNE: Is that it for the ceiling?
MAN: Yeah, well Only they have to
They need to put only the tile.
SUZANNE:
I don't see anybody from their side here.
Nobody's here.
NARRATOR: It's Friday, a day off in Dubai.
But this close to the delivery deadline,
Suzanne expects to see people working.
The next unit,
a burger bar, is also unfinished.
Where is the seating?
It's coming.
So the seating is not here?
- Seating, cladding.
- Cladding.
Cladding here, this cladding.
SUZANNE: Disaster.
NARRATOR: And it gets worse.
These were not supposed to be
finished yesterday?
They were, yeah.
And
Do they have any foreman, anybody here?
MAN: Yeah, the foreman is here.
NARRATOR: Suzanne prepares to make
her feelings clear to this subcontractor.
Where is the foreman?
NARRATOR: But he doesn't speak
Arabic or English.
SUZANNE: Translator!
- Urdu translator.
- MAN: I will translate.
NARRATOR: So someone else
has to tell this contractor
to get used to working
through his weekends.
- (speaking Urdu)
- Now, it's holiday, okay?
Not too many people coming,
going on the road.
You can finish this work.
Two days. Today and two more day.
(speaking Urdu)
These guys, they are not our contractors.
We have no control over them.
You know, the only thing we can do really
is to put maximum pressure on them,
threaten them we throw them out.
You know, throw their materials out,
whatever is not installed.
NARRATOR: Wherever Suzanne looks,
the subcontractors are behind schedule.
SUZANNE: Here, it still
looks like a construction site.
And here, this guy with the big seating.
Come on. He should've finished.
NARRATOR: Concourse furniture
is still in plastic wrapping,
and again the workers are not on site.
SUZANNE: Well,
these people should be here,
and they should be assembling.
Where are these people?
Ah, today they are not here.
Why today they are not here?
MAN: But there's a team working on it.
Okay, but--
No, I don't see anybody working on it.
MAN: No, not this particular one, no.
SUZANNE: No excuses.
NARRATOR: And it's not just
the workforce that's absent.
Materials are also missing.
When are we getting these pieces here?
MAN: Within the next two or three days.
Plenty of panels are coming in
from the factory now.
I want to see really a dedicated team
on these things.
NARRATOR: Before the panels
can even be fitted,
yet another subcontractor
has to connect the water supply.
SUZANNE: Okay.
What is missing here from your side?
The connection. We do it tomorrow maybe?
Tomorrow you make connection?
Yeah, but other than that, we are ready.
You know, we are at a time in the project
where we have plenty of small things.
All these small things,
they will turn out to be,
you know, impossible to finish.
That's a problem, you know.
It's not difficult. It's not bulky stuff.
It is small things
which take forever to finish.
NARRATOR: Even when
the right materials are on site,
they can't be installed because the
subcontractors don't know where they are.
Come here. Yes!
Is this finished?
What is the problem here?
We're waiting for the cladding.
Once the cladding comes--
SUZANNE: The cladding is here.
I want to see it finished.
Coordination.
Tomorrow.
Coordination. Okay, let's go.
NARRATOR: Suzanne's seen enough.
No more weekends, better management.
SUZANNE: Something has to be done.
I think you have from now up to Monday,
close of business,
to get your act together,
all of you, and sort everything out.
Really.
NARRATOR: Suzanne has
given her team three days
to get the build back on schedule.
The airport service department
is about to change
every single one
of the departure gate signs
while the airport is fully operational.
(indistinct)
NARRATOR: It's an ambitious plan,
and one of the teams has gone missing.
We need to make sure
the teams are back in location now.
NARRATOR:
Mazhar Butt is the man in charge.
The project manager has confirmed
that they're all there
- and back working again.
- MAZHAR: Okay.
NARRATOR: With all the teams in place,
Mazhar gives the green light
to start the sign switchover.
MAZHAR: Only in Dubai Airport,
only in Dubai Airport would we try this.
MAN (on radio): Alert. Gate 232 now
has been changed to Bravo 1-7.
Confirmed, gate 232 now Bravo 1-7.
NARRATOR: This is the critical stage
of the switchover,
where passengers could easily be confused
because the old gate signs
and the new ones
are being displayed at the same time
in different parts of the airport.
Copy, gate 231 now changed to Bravo 1-9.
NARRATOR: To avoid passengers arriving
late at gates and delaying departures,
the staff need to make sure
customers aren't confused.
Mazhar's team are off to a good start.
Mazhar. Calling Mazhar.
MAZHAR: Yeah, Khalil.
KHALIL: Okay,
central signage from gates 101 to 106
is now Bravo 1 to Bravo 16 complete.
MAZHAR: Repeat, that's gates 101 to 106
now Bravo 1 to Bravo 1-6.
Affirm, new signage takeover is completed.
PAUL: Let's not get complacent.
MAZHAR: Yes, absolutely.
- There's still a day to go.
- MAZHAR: Absolutely.
I'll keep everything crossed for you all.
MAZHAR: The nature of the airport is
anything can go wrong at any moment,
so we have to be prepared for anything
between now and close of play.
And we still have
a few hundred signs to change,
so until we get those signs changed,
we're not going to start saying
we're done for the day.
PAUL: The target is, by midnight tonight,
not to have anyone
wandering around the terminal
still trying to find one of the old gates.
With Bravo 14, we only had one issue
with passengers at that gate
that was a live flight.
They actually got confused
in the beginning,
but that was rectified on spot,
so no issues or impact on that gate.
MAZHAR: What about
the scrolling message in the C12?
That's already removed.
MAZHAR: That's okay, right.
MAN: It's done. Yeah, done.
WOMAN (on radio): All gates
at Terminal 2 completed.
Confirm, all signage changed
at Terminal 2.
WOMAN: Affirmative, signage changed.
All gates at Terminal 2 is completed.
MAZHAR: Excellent. Great.
MAN: Fantastic. Great.
MAZHAR: Well done, guys.
Well done. Excellent.
750 sign changes
and not a single complaint. Fantastic.
So I think we deserve
a bit of a celebration today.
We'll have a cup of tea and some biscuits.
NARRATOR: At Dubai International Airport,
over 900 flights arrive and depart a day,
about one every 90 seconds.
Making sure that the airport
is safe for all this traffic
is the responsibility
of airside operations,
who see to everything from parking planes
to removing dangerous trash from taxiways.
Airside controllers
have to maneuver on live runways,
demanding and always
potentially dangerous.
New recruits must learn how to get around
the apron quickly and safely,
and just like any other driver,
they're tested before being
let loose on the runway.
So we're gonna do your maneuvering area
driving competency check today.
Okay.
NARRATOR: John Taylor is taking
a new recruit on his airside driving test.
Okay.
Just remember your ultimate aim is safety
while you're driving out here, okay?
If you're not sure, then stop.
If you need to ask me,
that's fine, it's not a problem.
Okay, sir.
NARRATOR: Ali is retaking the test.
Last time he didn't listen
or follow instructions.
Okay, so if you want to start
your walk around.
I'll do that.
NARRATOR: Now it's up to trainer John
to assess him again.
The test is a pass or fail test.
Obviously with something as critical
as driving on the maneuvering area,
we can't say,
"Yeah, he's about 50%, we'll let him go."
He's got to be 100% accurate.
NARRATOR: With over
a decade of experience,
John knows the hazards
involved with driving airside.
JOHN: The major issue
would be what we call a runway incursion.
That's a vehicle actually
going onto the active runway
while there's aircraft
landing or taking off.
Could result in a collision and then that
in turn could result in fatalities.
NARRATOR: Ali has 45 minutes
to prove to John
he's now competent enough
to drive airside.
- Okay, are you ready?
- Yes.
- Happy?
- Yeah.
- Vehicle all checked?
- Yeah.
Very good.
NARRATOR: On a runway or maneuvering area,
airside operation controllers
are managed by air traffic control,
just like pilots.
So communication skills are vital.
JOHN: We're looking at
a number of factors with Ali.
We're looking at how good
his radio transmissions are,
his position on the taxiway.
We're actually going to use
the closed runway
so that we can assess
his radio transmissions.
NARRATOR: Ali's still a rookie,
so isn't allowed on a live runway.
Fortunately, one of them
is scheduled for closure.
He just needs to get there safely.
JOHN: You'll be entering
the runway via Kilo One.
Call sign is going to be Ops Two.
Treat it as it's a live runway, okay?
Yes, sir.
Okay, off you go.
The main tower, Ops Two.
MAN: Ops Two, the main tower. Go ahead.
Holding at Kilo One, requesting
for runway inspection, 3-0 Left, Ops Two.
MAN: Two, proceed runway 1-2 Right.
Proceed runway 1-2 Left.
NARRATOR: First radio transmission
and his first mistake,
confusing left and right.
Right is the closed runway.
Left, an operational one.
MAN: No, 1-2 Right.
JOHN: 1-2 Right, Ali.
Correction, 1-2 Right, Ops Two.
NARRATOR: Air traffic control
and John correct Ali,
but if he'd been on his own,
it could've been dangerous.
JOHN: Okay, you've got to be sure
on the message you're passing back, okay?
You just answered back without thinking.
You got your 3-0 Left
and your 1-2 Right confused, okay?
NARRATOR:
Ali heads out to the test runway,
while John tries to deliberately distract
him by asking questions.
JOHN: And if your vehicle
should break down,
what would you do?
(radio chatter)
I'll call first ATC
that my vehicle's broke down,
so it will take a few minutes
or it will take some time to recover it.
And I'll call my ODMA
to send me a team or--
JOHN: Ali, just called you,
and you haven't heard.
NARRATOR: Distracted by John's questions,
Ali has totally missed a radio call
from air traffic control.
MAN: Operation performing
runway 1-2 Right inspection, did you copy?
ALI: Say again, please?
MAN: You need to give way to air traffic
crossing the runway from Kilo 10.
Give way to traffic from Kilo 10, Ops Two.
NARRATOR: This is a vital message.
An Airbus A340 is about
to cross the closed runway.
Ali must give way.
He nearly misses the warning.
Another mistake.
JOHN: Okay, so you've got to make sure
you're listening to this, okay?
You've got to keep an ear out.
Even when you're talking
or you're doing anything else,
you've just got to keep
an ear out for your call sign
or for anything to do with the runway
or your location, okay?
Said give way to this aircraft.
Said to give way to the 340,
with that being the 340.
NARRATOR: So far, not so good for Ali.
Emirates airline is currently the world's
largest operator of the Airbus A380,
the biggest passenger aircraft
on the planet.
Over in the vast heavy maintenance hangar,
one of the airline's 31 A380s is
undergoing routine maintenance checks.
Mian Talat Abbas, an aircraft
engineer with over 30 years of experience,
is heading up the inspection.
That's my job, my profession, my hobby.
That's the only thing I know
how to do, so--
NARRATOR: The airbus A380
is undergoing a C-Check,
an extensive inspection and overhaul
which can take up to
6,000 man-hours to complete.
Attention to detail is vital.
MIAN TALAT: That's the whole concept
of this heavy maintenance, you know,
to ensure everything is working perfectly,
because there is no margin of error
in our business.
NARRATOR: Mian Talat has spotted
that a hydraulic hose in the engine
is missing a small component.
It has one locking pin missing here.
This is a hydraulic hose
which goes all the way up
to the pylon in the engine,
which is really a big part.
We are supposed to replace the whole pipe.
I just wanted to
explore the possibilities
we can replace the pin in situ, in place,
without dismantling the component.
NARRATOR: Mian Talat needs to check
with his production engineer
if the locking pin can be replaced
without removing and replacing
the whole hose.
See, on number three engine,
it's just a pin missing.
It's absurd, you know,
for this missing pin,
if we are replacing the whole hose.
I don't think it's really justified.
I mean,
if we have to do it, we have to do it.
But if you would like,
I will show you this on the engine.
Then maybe you can appreciate
what I'm saying.
NARRATOR: It could save time and money,
but needs to be safe.
This handle has a pin missing.
For this pin, we have to replace
this whole hose assembly,
- which goes up to the pylon.
- Okay.
So it doesn't seem very logical.
NARRATOR:
The production engineer will have to check
with the plane's manufacturer
for approval on Mian Talat's fix.
While Mian Talat waits to find out,
one of his team
have identified another problem
on the right inboard engine.
Okay, let's go for this one first, yeah?
This is a drag link
for a thrust reverser
which is which we found
during the inspection.
This is getting worn out from one side.
Now we are gonna replace this
with a new one.
NARRATOR: It is an important component
that helps reverse
the thrust of the jet engine
to bring this 386-ton aircraft to a halt.
Mirror. Where is my mirror?
Hold this.
Okay, this is fine.
Okay, John, let's torque it up, huh?
NARRATOR: Even though Mian Talat
has over 30 years of experience,
strict rules insist
that all work is checked.
Yeah, for the checking.
It was an inspection finding.
Just have a look, please.
It's just a safety net so the critical
installations are correct every time.
Thanks, Jason. Thank you.
Don't take my torch and mirror.
Ah, it's yours.
Cool. Good.
NARRATOR: Installation approved.
Mian Talat and his team
manually check that the drag link
is functioning properly.
MIAN TALAT: Okay. Enough.
Perfect. Beautiful.
This is done.
NARRATOR: And Mian Talat
finally gets the green light
for the money-saving idea he had earlier.
Airbus said it's fine.
You can fly the airplane
without replacing the whole pipe assembly.
I managed to save a component,
so it is good.
NARRATOR: Wannabe airside
ops controller Ali Qadeer
is taking his airside driving test
to assess if he can
drive safely on live runways
where planes land and take off.
(radio chatter)
NARRATOR: He got off to a bad start.
He needs to improve his radio comms
to stand a chance of passing.
Instructor John Taylor offers some advice.
JOHN: Listen to what he's saying, okay?
Take your time to answer him back.
Okay? Analyze or listen to
what he's telling you.
Take it in.
Make sure you've got
all the correct information,
then call him back.
Runway 1-2 Right vacated
via Mike 7, Ops Two.
You can proceed now Mike 7.
Proceed runway 1-2 Right.
Proceed runway 1-2 Right
via Mike 7, Ops Two.
JOHN: Well done. That's good. See?
Nice and easy. Let it flow.
Don't try and sound like a robot.
And you thought about
what you were saying then.
ALI: Proceed runway 1-2 Right
at stop bar, please, Ops Two.
MAN (on radio): Thank you.
Confirm? Ignore?
At the stop bar you can proceed
runway 1-2 Right.
Proceed runway 1-2 Right
via Mike 1-7, Ops Two.
JOHN: Okay, give him a chance to answer.
NARRATOR: Ali has jumped the gun
and needs to wait
for a response from control.
JOHN: Remember it's not just you.
He's looking at everybody
on the airfield, okay?
He's looking at crossing the aircraft.
He's got helicopters landing.
He's got people going round the taxiways.
So it might be
that he can't answer you straightaway.
NARRATOR: Runway section of exam over.
Runway 3-0 Left vacated and inspected,
Ops Two. Thank you, sir.
NARRATOR: Time for the taxiway,
mixing with planes
maneuvering to and from the gates,
driving alongside pilots
who at 15 meters from the ground
might not even be able to see him.
JOHN: What are we gonna do
about this aircraft?
ALI: I'll just go on the left side
and I'll go on Zulu.
JOHN: How would we be
able to know what he's doing?
ALI: Because I dismounted the frequency.
NARRATOR: Ali failed to switch his radio
from air traffic control to ground control
when he left the runway.
JOHN: Best thing to do
is actually switch it to ground, okay?
Then you can keep an ear out,
and you've got visual on this runway.
Okay, what's the safe distance to cross
in front of an aircraft?
ALI: 300 meters.
- JOHN: And behind?
- 200 meters.
JOHN: Okay. Well done.
(radio chatter)
What would happen if you drove
onto an active runway?
Say you drive over a stop bar.
What would that be called?
A runway incursion.
JOHN: Okay, what could happen
with a runway incursion?
There will be no more landings
because it's unsafe.
So ATC cannot give permission
for any aircraft to land.
Because they don't know
if the runway is safe or not.
NARRATOR: John has seen enough.
JOHN: So we'll stop,
get out the car, have a quick chat.
NARRATOR:
It's the moment of truth for Ali.
Need to work on your listening skills
a little bit more.
You need to listen out for your call sign
or listen out for the area
that you're operating in.
There was once that he did call
and you completely forgot about it.
Your airfield knowledge is good.
You've got an idea of
the signage of where you are.
You know the emergency procedures,
so again that's a good thing.
You have an understanding
of the runway incursions
and obviously what can happen,
so that's one of our major points as well.
Okay, well
It gives me pleasure to say, "Well done."
- You've passed. Okay?
- Thank you.
This is only the start of your learning
journey on the maneuvering area.
Just get yourself out there,
drive around, learn more and more.
Okay? And then hopefully over time
we can bring you onto the runways,
start teaching you
about the runway inspections
and get you signed off as Cat One.
But well done, okay?
NARRATOR: Despite his mistakes,
John believes Ali has shown enough promise
to move to the next level.
He will now be granted
limited access to airside
while in control of a vehicle.
Emirates is one of
the fastest growing airlines in the world.
To keep its planes in the air, it
constantly needs to train new cabin crew.
New recruits are put through seven weeks
of intensive training at aviation college,
with safety the priority.
Today's class is how to deal with
an emergency evacuation.
The lesson is overseen
by training specialist Fiona Devlin.
At the end of the day, it is a requirement
that we see them do this
professionally and safely.
Because it is something that,
hopefully never,
but they may require passengers to do.
And we need to know
that they're confident doing it
and that they could confidently conduct
an evacuation themselves.
Okay, guys.
Walk upstairs to the upper deck.
And just get ready near the UL-1 door
for when we give you the brief
about the sliding. Okay?
So just go upstairs.
NARRATOR: The giant Airbus A380
has 16 escape slides,
and from the top deck
it's a drop of eight meters.
To qualify as a flight attendant,
Silvia Fernandez has to pass the test.
Oh, my God.
It's really high. This is the big stuff.
I'm a bit scared. (chuckles)
FIONA: It's roughly about the height of
a three-story building.
Of course, you know,
we try our best to support them
and give them a little push
down the slide.
But they don't have
the option to back out.
It is definitely one of the boxes
that needs to be ticked
for their training.
NARRATOR: Silvia is well aware
of what's at stake.
At the end of the day we are talking about
saving lives and safety.
You need to stop,
know what you're doing, and then act,
because they are depending on you,
so you better do it right.
MAN: We want you to lean
as far forward as possible,
as if you're trying to touch your toes.
At no point of time
you will touch the raft. Clear?
All right. One person at a time.
At no time,
more than one person on the raft,
and we're gonna take it from there.
Are we ready? The engineers--
FIONA: Take a seat here on the balcony.
Lean forward, try to touch your toes.
Look ahead, yeah?
- All right. Silvia?
- Yeah.
Okay, take a seat here on the balcony.
Okay. Try to touch your toes.
Lean forward and look straight ahead.
- MAN: Good.
- (Silvia screams)
Hee-hee!
Oh, my God.
It was great. It was great.
Very nice. Yeah.
Oh, my God. It's very high.
It's amazing how high it is.
- MAN: Well done.
- FIONA: Good.
Okay, next.
NARRATOR: The final test is how to deal
with an emergency evacuation into water.
Inflate your life jacket, sit and crawl.
Inflate your life jacket, sit and crawl.
WOMAN: Come on. One at a time.
MAN: Inflate your life jacket,
sit and crawl.
Inflate your life jacket, sit and crawl.
I'm so looking forward
to going in the water.
They said it's very cold.
Uh-- I actually like cold water,
because I lived by the Atlantic Ocean.
MAN: Inflate your life jacket,
sit and crawl.
Inflate your life jacket, sit and crawl.
- WOMAN: Come.
- MAN: Inflate your life jacket--
NARRATOR: Before entering the water,
they have to know how to detach
the escape chute and turn it into a raft.
All 40 kilograms,
so your body weight, basically.
(all squealing, laughing)
NARRATOR: In a real emergency,
this raft has an overload capacity
for up to 85 people.
Now they're gonna be entering the water
from the other end of the slide raft,
and they'll be doing
some activities in the water
about how to prevent hypothermia and how
to survive longer if they're in the sea.
MAN: Go ahead.
All right, Carla. Well done.
Now I want you all to huddle.
NARRATOR: This isn't just team-bonding.
It's an essential survival technique
for freezing seas.
MAN: Are you okay there?
FIONA: It's important that it's cold,
because what we're asking them to do now
is to try out different positions
to reduce the likelihood of hypothermia.
And they do see that when it's cold
and they adopt these positions,
they can feel the warmth.
So it's more realistic
if we have it as cold as we can.
All right.
You can leave the swimming pool.
Thank you.
Cold.
That's actually quite--
It's quite warm today.
I don't think they put the chillers on
very well this morning,
so I don't know
what they're complaining about.
You know, we are now in the pool.
I guess when you are in the ocean,
that's really scary.
FIONA: Today is a big milestone for them.
There's a good sense of achievement.
They've passed,
they should feel very proud of themselves.
You saved my life! (laughs)
FIONA: And now they're moving on
to their medical training
and their security training
before they then are given their wings
and they can start flying, yeah.
NARRATOR: If all goes well,
within four weeks
these trainees will be flying.
Captioned by Pixelogic Media