Ultimate Airport Dubai (2013) s01e08 Episode Script

1
NARRATOR: Dubai International Airport,
one of the fastest growing airports
on the planet
and aiming to be number one.
FRANCOIS: Cleared for takeoff.
NARRATOR: But perfection is never easy.
AJOY: Final call, Emirates to Sydney.
PASSENGER OPERATIONS:
Gatwick, Amsterdam.
NARRATOR: More planes.
MEL: 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.
SUZANNE: So much scaffolding everywhere.
Nothing is finished.
- NARRATOR: It's nonstop.
- (whistles)
MARWA: If you don't love it
it's just going to kill you.
NARRATOR: 24/7.
NARGIS: I think it's stuck.
One, two, three, push.
NARRATOR: It's the job of 60,000 staff
from all over the world
JUMAH: It's either you can deliver
or you're out of the building.
NARRATOR: to make this
the ultimate airport.
Dubai International
is a direct flight away
from most of the world's population
and connects to 260 destinations.
Success depends on the airport working
as smoothly as possible.
Turning around passengers quickly
and efficiently and reducing congestion.
But the airport is operating
at full stretch
with packed schedules and terminals
threatening efficiency.
The only option? Expansion.
A new $3.2 billion concourse
that can handle
an additional
15 million passengers a year.
The extra capacity is needed so urgently
they're opening the concourse today
before much of it is finished,
which means work is being rushed.
Especially up in the all-important
first-class lounges.
Bring the ♪♪♪drawing here.
I want to fix these lights.
Here's the ♪♪♪drawing.
What's happening?
NARRATOR: Dejan Busic is run ragged.
Okay, this is Phase 1.
I have the same drawing for the Phase 2.
It's just the location of the lights,
which is supposed to go
on the wall in the child care room.
There is some confusion in the drawings.
It's not showing the proper location.
NARRATOR:
Confusion in the plans at this point
could lead to mistakes
that would set back the whole project.
Luckily Dejan's been leading the work
on the first-class lounge for 16 months
so he knows how every detail should look.
The lights supposed to
come with this wall. Okay?
And then on the back wall you have
the mirror, which is not a problem,
because if you have marble
you can drill directly through.
Lights need to go there.
There is no
discussion about this, okay?
It is really frustrating.
That's a very, very easy task
to be checked on the time,
and due to the pressure and all
that is happening every minute here,
we just slip over.
We don't have time for these things,
so part of the team will stay
full night to finish now.
NARRATOR: While much of the concourse
is still a building site,
down below four gates
are being pressed into service
in the first phase of opening.
The inaugural flight will take off for
London Heathrow in just under two hours.
The boss of Dubai Airports,
CEO Paul Griffiths,
has turned up in person
for a last nervous sweep of departures,
making sure everything's ready.
- PAUL: Let's just check.
- WOMAN: Yeah.
PAUL: Right, let's see if that works.
NARRATOR: If the concourse doesn't work,
the reputation of both Dubai Airport
and the man who runs it will suffer.
Paul is well aware of the nightmares
other international airports have faced
when they've rushed to open new terminals.
Some airports unfortunately
have slightly miscalculated
what it takes
to open a facility of this size
and unfortunately have
lived with the legacy
of the problems they've experienced on day
one for many years.
NARRATOR: Dubai is limiting the risk
by launching only
the first four of 20 gates,
but if it doesn't go perfectly today,
Paul may have to call off
the next phase of opening.
If something's not right,
we've got to call a halt to this process
and ultimately I've got to make
that judgment call
and we're going to have to pull the plug.
What is this exactly?
No, that's not good.
We need a hoarding
in front of this, don't we?
Yeah.
This is really it now, isn't it?
You're actually live, yeah?
MAN: All ready to go.
Fantastic.
All we need is some passengers.
Yeah, well, you haven't got long
to wait, have you?
Good luck, all right.
NARRATOR: As the concourse
goes into operation,
for Dejan, who's trying to
finish the premiere lounges,
it seems to be one step
forward and two steps back.
Rajif, sorry, man. I know that you were
not here yesterday, but I spoke to Arun.
Man, these cutouts for the lights
is not yet finished yet.
- Do you have the lights here?
- Yeah, we have the lights.
Where are the lights? Can I see them?
Okay, can I see them?
- Can I see them physically?
- Can you bring the lights?
Put them here.
Still the cutout is not yet finished.
The top portion is not finished.
These guys cannot do the wiring.
They cannot install the final lights.
I'm calling the guy
from the joinery company
to come and to quickly
cut out those remaining lights.
Get somebody to clean this, please.
All the cartons, sheets,
and this stuff, please.
Where are you going?
Are you going this side? Go.
Yes, it's a lot of small things
that we need now to--
To close before tonight.
All of them.
But as you can see, the big things
are going on. The guys are busy.
NARRATOR: With the next phase
of the concourse opening imminent
they're running out of time.
An airline has to run a slick operation.
Any mechanical problems can cause delays.
They have teams of engineers
keeping the planes
in top condition, from engines to wheels.
Accelerations for takeoffs and the impacts
of hundreds of tons
slamming down at landing
wear out tires quickly.
In the Emirates Wheel Overhaul Workshop,
engineer Hussain Abdulrahin
is kept very busy.
Whatever wheel will be removed
from the aircraft,
it comes to this area.
NARRATOR: At least once every 270 flights,
every wheel on a jet
is completely overhauled.
They're joined by any tire
that's suffered exceptional damage.
For instance, by an aborted takeoff.
If we see this wheel,
actually is removed from A380 wheels,
due to a rejected takeoff
with full brakes.
Suddenly, some error get in the cockpit.
The aircraft with full thrust
suddenly break down,
which caused this.
NARRATOR: It's a testament
to the strength of the tire
that it's still in one piece.
And to ensure the wheel itself is sound,
each part is stripped down
and the aluminum hubs blast-cleaned
before a magnetic probe
scans them for hairline cracks.
We must make sure
there is no crack available.
Any crack found in the hub,
it should be scrapped.
NARRATOR: The wheel hub
is split into two parts.
This is the nose wheel.
So you see, first we need to
put the inner hub inside.
Then we put the tire.
Then they put the outer.
NARRATOR: They must be perfectly aligned
and bolted together securely
to withstand huge pressures.
Aircraft tires are inflated
to very high pressure,
more than six times an average car tire.
If something goes wrong,
it could blow the hub apart violently.
The gate is our safety.
This is will save the life.
Because if this burst,
so the gate will save you
to not hit you and kill you.
NARRATOR: Hussain's team
assembles 28 wheels a day.
It's an expensive business.
A full set for the A380 costs $2 million.
Each wheel will be tested for leaks over
the next 12 to 24 hours
before setting off on the first of
what could be 270 flights
around the world.
The new Concourse A is vital to keep
Dubai Airport working efficiently.
CEO Paul Griffiths is counting down
to its first ever A380 departure.
PAUL: Going to start
boarding shortly, are we?
NARRATOR: Flight EK003
will be taking off for London Heathrow
in just one hour.
The first passengers
have started boarding.
PAUL: You almost feel like people
should have party hats
or something, don't you really? Yeah.
NARRATOR: Suzanne Al Anani,
in charge of delivering the building,
is also at the launch,
watching with a mixture of pride
and apprehension.
SUZANNE: To see the passengers, the first
batch of passengers, coming through,
you feel really
these are very proud moments.
You know you're on the first inaugural
flight from this building?
- MAN: Really?
- SUZANNE: Yeah.
- MAN: Oh, that's wonderful, that's good.
- SUZANNE: Yeah, yeah.
Very exciting. I mean, I'm more excited
than the passengers even
because we built this building, you know?
However, you're very nervous
because you really
have your fingers crossed
that everything works.
NARRATOR: Suzanne is right to be nervous.
One floor above
the shiny new shopping area
Dejan is pushing his teams hard
to complete
the massive first-class lounge.
But his to-do list
just keeps getting longer.
Okay, who is busy
with the bloody floor drainer?
I need to get a guy for the TV, Rajif.
The pressure on the job's really enormous
because of the very limited time
and the completion target date
that we're aiming to meet.
D 98.
One of your rooms, back of house rooms,
which is full of your material.
It's all of us. 100% of our bodies
and minds are on this project.
I need you to finish the top piece.
I need to trim this.
I'm coming, man, I'm coming.
I cannot run, man. What?
I'm coming.
We need to keep on pushing
all the time, continuously,
each guy, each person, everybody,
to make sure that they are same--
On the same target
and they are doing exactly what we need.
NARRATOR:
The deadline for the premiere lounges
is fast approaching, but right now
project boss Suzanne is keeping her nerve
as she waits for
the inaugural flight to depart.
Where is Paul?
Okay, let's go and catch up.
Excuse me, Paul, you feel proud?
PAUL: Yeah, definitely do.
I'm in equal measure
proud and nervous, I think.
Just want to make sure it all happens.
SUZANNE: Ah, I was nervous
in the morning, but not anymore.
I mean you have to make people feel
that everything is okay.
And you have a lovely smile
so why don't you flash it around!
Flash it around, Paul.
(laughs)
PAUL: Yeah, this is the day,
absolutely, yeah.
SUZANNE: Yeah, use it, why not.
NARRATOR: Paul and Suzanne
have been living and breathing
this new concourse for six years.
SUZANNE: You forget all the hard time
that you've had
and all of this when you see actually
it's going into operation,
you see people's smiles
and people happy,
especially the passengers.
That gives you great satisfaction.
NARRATOR:
The first departure is away smoothly,
but there are many more flights to come
before the new concourse
will be judged a success.
It's very hard not to be emotional
really on a day like today
when you can look around
and think, wow, really,
the world is watching
and waiting for us to deliver.
Everyone here is really focused
on making this enterprise world-class.
You know there's no excuses,
we've got to deliver.
NARRATOR: Nearly half of all flights
in and out of Dubai are Emirates.
Keeping those planes on schedule 24/7
to 120 destinations around the globe
is the job of the Network Control Center.
It's the brain of the airline.
With their own dedicated satellite system,
they can communicate directly
with every flight around the world
and track their progress
live on global maps.
With up to 158 planes in the air
at any one time,
it's a high pressure job
and needs a cool head.
So far it's been a busy night
for the man in charge, Georg Broemmer.
A medical emergency on a Jo'burg-Dubai,
there is an elderly passenger
with chest pain.
He's currently being assessed
by a doctor on board.
But as the latest information we received,
we are currently continuing to Dubai.
That could change any minute.
NARRATOR: The team tracks global news
and weather systems,
so they can be ready
to change flight plans
at a moment's notice.
Today we had quite some
weather situation in Europe
East Europe was mostly affected
with heavy snowfall in Austria.
Um, Vienna Airport,
at a certain time, was closed,
so the 127, the first flight
which went into Vienna,
couldn't land in Vienna,
so they went to Prague.
They're overnighting all in Prague.
It's the rent of 270 passengers,
I think we have,
plus the crew.
NARRATOR: As well as coordinating
all of their flights around the world,
Georg and his team are responsible
for getting the planes
into and out of Dubai on time.
Salah, what is the latest flight
we're waiting for for Sydney?
NARRATOR:
One of the most time-critical departures
is the nightly EK414 to Sydney, Australia.
Sydney operates a nighttime jet ban,
which means planes cannot land
after 11:00 p.m. local time.
The 414, the Sydney one
is landing around about
45 minutes before
that curfew comes into force
and the slightest delay out of here
that would bring it
absolutely to the brink of that curfew.
NARRATOR: On the Air Traffic
Control approach map,
Georg is keeping a close watch
on the planes
bringing in his connecting passengers.
This is the last flight to connect
to EK 414 Sydney.
It's the Birmingham flight.
40 is expected to land.
It's currently at 4,000 feet.
Um, is expected to
land on runway 12 right.
That will take around about
20 minutes to be on stand.
Once it's on stand we have
the last connections for those passengers
all in Dubai and then of course
we'll rush them through
so we have one hour time
to connect the passengers.
NARRATOR: 285 transit passengers
will be joining the Sydney 414
if their incoming flights are on time.
Of course we have to make
relatively fast and quick decisions
on whether we connect somebody
or won't connect them.
It's a give and take and it's a commercial
decision at the end about cost.
NARRATOR: The NCC team has eyes
throughout the airport
so they can monitor
every stage of preparation
for the Sydney flight
at the departure gate
and on the ramp.
GEORG: We can see what's going on.
We're not depending on
verbal communication.
"Yeah it's on the way. It's happening."
No, I can see what is happening.
It's the factual information
we're really looking at.
I can see how many
containers are not loaded,
how long it will still take,
that's the point.
This is Charlie Alpha
so that's the physical identification.
That's our aircraft.
Cleaning is currently ongoing
in the aircraft.
Um, catering needs to start.
The crew will go onboard,
secure the cabin, do a security check.
Once that is done they give the final
boarding clearance to the gate staff.
The gate staff will then make an
announcement to the passengers.
The passengers will go on board.
Minus 45 minutes
they will start assisted boarding
and minus 35 minutes
they will start physical boarding.
GEORG: This is the gate,
Bravo 27, you see they have
indeed started boarding activity.
Looking at the pictures now I can't
tell you where they're coming from.
These are possibly joining passengers
or passengers which were connecting,
but are here for quite some time already.
They're more relaxed.
Later on you see the pictures
of passengers being rushed through.
And then you can make your guess
where these passengers
are coming from if you want.
NARRATOR:
It's all systems go on the ground.
Now they just need a plane
full of passengers.
GEORG: Passenger-wise all on hand?
How many are missing?
39 passengers are missing, okay.
Are these transfer passengers or
Some of them are transfer passengers.
GEORG: We are currently
awaiting 37 or 39 passengers
from transfer flights.
Most of them are transfer flights.
Again, the Manchester
and the Birmingham flight are affected,
and they're being escorted to the gates.
And we will see them
showing up pretty soon.
NARRATOR: If these transfers are late,
Georg will have to weigh up
the risk of waiting for them
and possibly missing the curfew
and having to cancel the flight.
In curfew-critical flights
or flights with limitations,
that could get to the ultimate challenge
that you will not be able to make it.
The challenge is to get it there
before the curfew
and if that doesn't work
then it would stay here.
NARRATOR:
Tight schedules mean it's crucial
planes push back on time
to hit strictly limited departure slots.
Cargo, baggage, and passengers
must be efficiently loaded
within demanding timeframes.
Passenger illness
can be another cause of delays.
It's the job of Tamer Kamal to respond
to these passenger emergencies.
The most important thing for me,
the health and the life of the passenger.
We look at like
if he's fit to travel or no
and how to assess the passenger definitely
is very important for us.
NARRATOR: Tamer has been called
to a departure gate
where a flight is boarding
to Trivandrum in India.
- Are you okay?
- PAPPACHAN: No, I have a problem.
What are you feeling?
NARRATOR: One of the passengers,
Pappachan Kunjumon,
says he's had a bad reaction
to something he's eaten.
- Are you feeling allergy?
- Yes.
NARRATOR: With limited medical facilities
onboard planes,
airlines have strict rules
about sick passengers flying.
We don't accept passengers
sick during the transit
or when they check in
or before accepting them in the flight.
It could end up with like flight diversion
if the passenger condition is very bad.
NARRATOR: The airport paramedics
can find no symptoms,
but allergic reactions
can be unpredictable.
Okay, what do you think? He have to go to
the clinic to see the doctor?
We will call the doctor first.
We have to go first by the--
Their procedures or protocol
to call the doctor
and the airport medical center.
NARRATOR: There are only 45 minutes
before Pappachan's flight leaves
and although he feels fine,
airline rules have now kicked in.
He need to see you. If the doctor see you,
he may discharge you.
But don't worry
about your booking or anything.
NARRATOR: But Pappachan
has an urgent reason to get on that plane.
We'll help you until you,
you travel on the next flight.
Actually, I have problem
because my father is dead.
I understand.
Because everybody waiting
in the airport now.
- But anything can happen on board--
- No problem. I understand.
We have to ensure
that you are fit to travel first.
Okay, no problem. I have now
no having problem now.
NARRATOR: Pappachan's family
is waiting for him to arrive
before his father's funeral can begin,
but there's no avoiding a trip
to the medical center.
The gate will close in 15 minutes,
whether he's back in time or not.
We don't have that much time.
I'll just speak to the passenger.
Fifteen minutes is okay.
NARRATOR: It's all up to Tamer.
Okay then, we'll do it.
We'll try to do it fast, then let's go.
NARRATOR: In the Network Control Center,
responsible for keeping every Emirates
flight around the world on schedule,
Georg and his team are monitoring
all the preparations
to make sure EK414 leaves Dubai on time.
If there's any danger that it won't make
Sydney before the nighttime curfew,
he'll have to cancel the flight.
Catering as well, please.
Can we check? Yeah?
- It's done?
- IVAN: Yeah, catering is done.
GEORG: Okay, Charlie Alpha has started.
The high loaders are now
at the forward cargo hold.
NARRATOR: There are still
transit passengers coming through
from the recently landed UK flights.
While their luggage is transferred
straight into the plane,
the passengers
are rushed through to the gate.
There are two passengers coming, see,
it's four passengers coming now.
That's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
That's how quickly
the number count can go down.
NARRATOR: There are just 15 minutes to go
before the gate has to close,
and Georg is watching closely.
If the passenger doesn't board,
their luggage has to be unloaded.
We're still short by two, yeah?
SALAH: Yeah.
GEORG: There's one passenger
at the counter. What's wrong with him?
IVAN: He's, he's got
security checking his documents.
GEORG: Okay, but he's okay, yeah?
NARRATOR: The gate has now closed,
but there's still one passenger missing
and his two bags
are already on board the plane
somewhere inside six baggage containers.
GEORG: Two bags to be offloaded
and then we are done.
Nine minutes prior to departure.
This is where the clock starts ticking.
Here is the container coming out again.
You can see this.
NARRATOR: The baggage handlers
have just eight minutes
to find the bags and reload the plane.
The pushback team is ready in position.
GEORG: Okay, opening the container
and pulling out every piece of bag.
This is how physical the workload is.
We're looking for two bags in a haystack,
basically.
Yeah, it's another seven minutes before we
actually have to push back,
which doesn't look good right now.
NARRATOR: But Georg has a brainwave.
He knows the pilot can taxi to the runway
more quickly than the allotted time
if Air Traffic Control gives permission.
(inaudible radio chatter)
- RALPH: Hey, it's Ralph again.
- AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Hey, Ralph.
RALPH: Look, I need your help for the 414.
We need 15 minutes taxi time if possible
because we're just currently
loading off the bags.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Yeah, it's all right.
It's off 12 so it'll be
do you know where he's parked?
RALPH: Foxtrot 20, he's in the Foxtrot
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Easy.
He only needs about five minutes to taxi,
so no problem at all.
It gives us ten more minutes
based on the same slot.
So as I said, 21:50 earlier,
we can now go to 22:00.
NARRATOR: They've got extra time,
but will it be long enough
for the ground team
to find the bags and reload the plane?
So 22:00 push, okay.
IVAN: We should be able to do that.
GEORG: Nine minutes. Rush, rush, rush.
Good, sure, it's in this one, yes?
Probably 30 to 35 bags
loaded in this container.
IVAN: Container and still
they haven't got the bag out.
34 pieces in the bulkhead.
No, I mean, that container.
GEORG: Seven minutes!
IVAN: You're taking too much time there
because now I can see three or four
porters there, including the supervisor.
- GEORG: So do we have it?
- WORKER: Yeah.
- We have one already here with me.
- GEORG: One?
- WORKER: Just looking for the other one.
- GEORG: One is found.
IVAN: So one of the two
is offloaded and you.
GEORG: So we're still looking
for one more missing bag.
Four minutes.
WORKER: Okay, we've got the missing bag.
GEORG: Okay, all bags found.
IVAN: Okay, we've got the second bag,
we've got four minutes.
GEORG: We're reloading now.
IVAN: We've got exactly four minutes.
They can make that.
Not even four, three minutes actually.
That needs to be really fast now,
Ivan, yeah, please.
Clockwork precision.
You see,
this is not how it should be, actually.
Believe me, it's a kind of a relief when
you feel it's pushed!
And when it's airborne, brilliant.
IVAN: Closed cab. Cargo closed.
Take the cones away,
they're doing this now.
That's the crew now very nervous
as well, that's good.
Okay remove the conveyor belt,
close the door.
This is a good moment
and we've got exactly one minute.
80% closed.
We are removing the equipment.
All the equipments are removed.
Done!
That was a bit of a drama actually.
It now has to go to
the runway takeoff point.
NARRATOR: Georg can track the plane
as it moves along the runway.
GEORG: 414 is moving.
Can see it now.
NARRATOR: And all the way to Sydney.
I'm taking his passport now
to be registered in the medical center.
NARRATOR: Running a tight schedule
can have a human cost.
Pappachan Kunjumon is traveling to India
for his father's funeral.
He suffered a mild allergic reaction
and although he feels better,
he can't board the plane
without a doctor's certificate.
Tamer is urgently trying
to get him medically cleared
and back to his flight before it closes.
How are you feeling now?
You think you are able to travel?
Or you should be given treatment
and observation here?
Now I'm okay.
- Are you sure?
- I'm sure, sir.
I think we can just advise
oral anti-allergy tablets
and discharge the patient and allow him
to continue traveling. Okay?
NARRATOR: Pappachan's bags
have automatically been offloaded
in case he doesn't make it back in time
so Tamer gets straight
onto the boarding gate
to let them know he's on his way.
I will be at the departure
leaving in one minute from now.
Yes, he can travel.
We still have around seven minutes now.
I will try to do it fast.
Can we reload the baggage?
NARRATOR: It's not what
Tamer wants to hear.
Okay, can you check
and let me know, please?
NARRATOR: The flight is leaving
without Pappachan onboard.
Okay, okay, bye-bye.
NARRATOR: And Tamer
now has to break the news to Pappachan.
Bye-bye, thank you. See you, bye-bye.
Sir, I'm sorry.
You are late for the flight.
The flight is now. The doors is closed.
Don't worry about everything.
Flight will be arranged for you.
- Please. Please, sir.
- I understand.
But the flight, they closed the doors now.
The flight is gone. This is the problem.
There are many problems.
Everybody is waiting for me now.
If I put myself in the passenger shoes
like sometimes they are going
in very, very important matters
and sometimes they are very, very unhappy.
My problem is with this is,
my problem-- My father has died.
Everybody waiting for me
in the airport now.
- I understand.
- Why you don't understand that time, sir?
You have the power.
You have the power, sir.
Why you don't understand? Why you don't
wait five minutes more for have a flight?
- We care about your health.
- Then why you close the flight, sir?
- I spoke to the doctor.
- No, sir. Sorry. I'm very sorry, sir.
I'm-- I'm still here.
No problem. No need, sir.
TAMER: We can't hold
the flight for one passenger
and forget about the rest of the flight,
the hundreds of passengers.
He's very upset at the moment,
but I'll have to calm him down in the end.
NARRATOR: Tamer is doing
all he can to get Pappachan to Trivandrum
for his father's funeral,
but there's no easy solution.
TAMER: You didn't find any option there?
FLIGHT BOOKER: No.
TAMER: Okay, I'll have to speak
to the passenger then.
Immediate I want a phone call.
Any phone.
I want to just talk with my brother.
Hello?
Can you hear what I'm saying?
NARRATOR: While Pappachan
lets his brother know he's delayed,
Tamer finds a direct flight that will get
him there, but a full day later.
What do you think?
NARRATOR: For Pappachan,
being a few minutes late
has turned into a 24-hour delay.
Okay.
TAMER: Okay?
Okay, go ahead and book the passenger.
Thank you very much, guys.
NARRATOR: Pappachan accepts his fate.
Bye-bye, take care, take care.
Yes!
NARRATOR: Keeping Dubai International
working efficiently
means coordinating 140 different airlines,
each with their own schedule.
If something goes wrong
with one airline's flight,
it can impact on the smooth running
of the airport.
CHECK-IN STAFF: That's it? Thanks.
NARRATOR: It can fall
to other carriers to help.
In passenger transfers,
Mel Sabharwal and her colleague Gamal Saad
are facing a flood of stranded travelers.
MEL: We've got passengers
from China Southern Airlines.
Their flight is technical.
So these passengers
have come in from Jeddah.
China Airlines have presented us
with a situation
whereby their flight is grounded.
NARRATOR: The China
Southern Airlines representative
wants to get her passengers
rebooked onto an Emirates flight.
It should be a straightforward process.
So you have a technical problem
in your flight
so you are transferring them to us.
Okay, in the normal procedures,
you need to do a booking for them.
You understand me?
In this particular case,
if China Airlines wants us to take, um,
these passengers onto an Emirates airline,
then it means that we have to ensure
that we are not carrying them for free,
so the rebooking is absolutely critical.
NARRATOR: China Southern hasn't made
the rebooking electronically,
which provides a formal record.
Mel wants to help the passengers,
but doesn't want Emirates
to pick up the bill.
Because of your situation, our ASM here,
she accept that we can accept them all,
but please in the future
you need to do for them booking,
even if it's one hour only
because you know.
Now I'll accept them,
but I need the exact details
of the flights.
MEL: And the baggage.
GAMAL: The inbound flight.
NARRATOR: Without
an electronic reservation,
Mel's team will have to
book them in manually.
MEL: I need all the baggage details
because I cannot leave the bags here.
Okay, all right?
GAMAL: Okay, welcome.
NARRATOR: But it turns out that there are
a lot more passengers than Mel realizes.
80, 80, 80, 80 meals.
She said,
"How many on that list?" She's got 20?
GAMAL: There's 20
and on the other side I have like 50.
I need to go there.
So we've got 50 there as well, all right.
- Well, let's head on down there.
- GAMAL: Okay.
NARRATOR: With two airlines involved,
a mass transfer of passengers with their
baggage is much more complicated.
MEL: So how many passengers does he have?
62 in total.
MEL: 62 here?
NARRATOR: With just 80 minutes
before boarding starts,
there may not be enough time to process
all these passengers and their bags.
We need to make a decision
on whether the baggage
should be accepted with the passengers.
Ideally if we had 12 hours
to play around with,
we could've connected the passengers
with their baggage.
But the priority from the airline
is to get these passengers out.
NARRATOR: But if these people
are to travel without bags,
their airline, China Southern,
will first have to confirm they accept
legal responsibility for the luggage.
- Thank you, bye-bye.
- GAMAL: What do we need now?
We need an e-mail
from the airline representative
to say that we're not liable
for the baggage
and they will be forwarding the baggage
on their own airline
with no liability to Emirates.
NARRATOR:
If the e-mail doesn't come in time,
these passengers won't get on the flight
but Mel can't hold up the booking.
There are too many people to push through.
Even the normally unflappable Mel
thinks it'll be a stretch
to get everything done in time.
So it's 9:00 now. That gives us, yeah,
about an hour and 20 minutes at least.
Hmm.
NARRATOR:
To keep passengers flowing smoothly,
an airport needs rapid response
to any medical emergency.
At Dubai there are 46 nurses
and 13 doctors
as well as ten ambulance crews
providing cover day and night.
In Terminal Three, the duty medical team
have just received an emergency call.
Maximum of eight minutes we have
to reach the scene from the time of call,
but usually we are reaching the scene
in three to five minutes.
NARRATOR: A man has collapsed
at departure gate 22
and the medical team who are
dealing with him have called for backup.
The team attend up to
15 medical emergencies every shift
and must be prepared for anything.
Most of the time
there are serious cases we are getting,
like a cardiac arrest
and post-epileptic cases
with unconscious patients
and unresponsive patients.
NARRATOR:
It's clear the situation is serious.
The man is losing consciousness.
SALI: Excuse me, sir, sir!
This case could be a post-fainting attack,
collapse, or hypoglycemic cases.
We check the ABC-- airway,
breathing, and circulation.
He is breathing, he has pulse.
And the level of consciousness
is deteriorating.
Are you okay, huh?
SALI: Excuse me. Sugar, sugar, BP.
Sugar, sugar!
Exactly we don't know if some
deterioration is going on his brain
and the respiratory system.
So to make sure
to get the clear diagnosis,
we need to transfer him
to the medical center
so that the doctor can evaluate him.
NARRATOR: Even with a team of four,
the unconscious patient is too heavy
to lift onto the stretcher.
SALI: Help, please.
CLIFFORD: Can you help us, please?
Anybody can help?
SALI: Anybody can help, please?
One, two, three.
NARRATOR: No sooner is the patient
loaded onto the ambulance
when suddenly he starts to gag.
If the man vomits
while in this position he could choke.
Turn the patient face.
Just turn the patient face, please.
NARRATOR: With the patient stabilized
the immediate danger is over
but they need to get him to the medical
center as quickly as possible.
And if they can't treat him there,
he'll be transferred to the emergency
department of a local hospital.
We don't get a clear-cut diagnosis
of the patient.
It's a serious case.
NARRATOR:
With the patient off their hands,
the crew is now ready
for the next emergency.
- Inform dispatch ten to four.
- Yeah.
NARRATOR: Whatever and wherever it may be.
In passenger transfers,
Mel is trying to resolve the fallout
following a China Southern plane
being grounded.
She's trying to rebook
62 stranded passengers
onto an Emirates flight to Beijing.
She can only take them
without their baggage,
but unless China Southern
accepts responsibility for their bags,
she won't take them at all.
If I don't get the e-mail
from China Airlines,
I will have to reassess my decision
to accept these passengers.
So it is a very,
very difficult decision to make
because you are dealing with people.
We've got 62-odd passengers here
that need to get to their destination.
NARRATOR:
The passengers don't speak English
and are confused and becoming frustrated.
GAMAL: Okay, attention all transfer desk,
I need extra manpower here
at transfer desk Joliffe.
If we have staff free now
send them to Joliffe immediately.
NARRATOR: Mel needs them to know
if the airline takes them,
it will be without their baggage.
We're getting some
Chinese speakers here now
to communicate with the passengers as well
so that they're fully aware
that they are traveling, yes,
but without their baggage.
NARRATOR: The flight leaves
in just over two hours
and there's still
no sign of the translator.
Where's the Chinese speaker?
She left a long time back.
GAMAL: Are there new urgent staff?
One Chinese staff is coming from B15.
GAMAL: Okay, she's here.
I need you to explain to them by Chinese
that their baggage will not be
transferred on our aircraft.
You are all going to Beijing, right?
NARRATOR: The passengers
just want to get to Beijing
with or without their luggage.
GAMAL: Okay, perfect. Thank you very much.
NARRATOR: And just in the nick of time,
China Southern accepts
responsibility for their bags.
We've managed to get an e-mail
from the airline representative as well
to say that they will forward the baggage
at their own liability
with no liability to Emirates.
NARRATOR: At last the 62 passengers
will be able to fly onto Beijing.
Okay, I appreciate for everyone
and the hardworking from everyone.
Please, thank you, yeah.
Can I just get your attention, please?
Thank you very much.
That was really well-handled.
I think it's time for a quick
coffee break. What do you think?
Yeah, let's go, let's go.
As long as it's on the house.
(group laughs)
NARRATOR: Racing to increase capacity
so it can turn around
ever-more flights and passengers,
Dubai Airport has opened four gates
in their new concourse
before the first and business class
lounges are finished.
After a frantic rush
to complete their work,
site manager Dejan believes
the handover is now in sight.
This is my temporary office.
For today only. And then we are out.
The building schedule has been so squeezed
there hasn't been time
to test every system.
When you come to the finishing stage,
that time got spent in earlier stage,
so there is no time
for anything to go wrong.
The time is gone.
As Dejan and his colleague Lodewyk
check on progress,
everything seems to be in order.
Basically, there is
nothing much left to do.
You can see that the operator
has taken over this already,
so all the lamps are working.
We check the power.
But just when Dejan starts to relax,
there's a problem.
In the shopping area below,
already open to passengers,
a steady stream of water
is coming through the ceiling.
And the news gets worse.
- Water leak.
- Ah, yes. Water leak is somewhere here.
NARRATOR: The leak is coming
from the men's first-class toilets.
We have to action them immediately
as a top priority,
because we never know if that leak is
going to be minor or the major leak.
And the area we are going now,
it's live, it's an operational area.
So we have all the passengers
walking around,
so we cannot afford
to wait any minute longer.
Over there.
NARRATOR: Dejan and Lodewyk
need to quickly work out
exactly where in the men's toilet
the water is coming from
before it gets any worse.
LODEWYK: This side just looks like
it's just below the urinals.
MAN: Urinal, yes.
LODEWYK: Yeah, and this one
is by the vanity.
DEJAN: Where is it? Over there.
LODEWYK: Not much time left, huh?
So the guys will be busy
rectifying the ceiling,
as you see that
there was damage over there now.
But this small leak would
potentially become a major leak
if we didn't found it on time.
NARRATOR: But finding the leak
is not proving easy.
All the pipework is hidden
somewhere behind the costly marble tiles.
They urgently need
to find an access panel.
LODEWYK: There must be an access here.
There's no--
There's no-- no access. None.
There's no shaft inside.
NARRATOR: The hunt is on
for any way into the pipes
that avoids destroying
the pristine marble.
Any area must have a shaft.
I'll go from the back side
to check, but
These are the electrical cupboards.
All these three and these two there.
So there is no access over there.
NARRATOR: Dejan has run out of options.
To cut the joints and then we can look.
NARRATOR: There's only one way in,
the direct route.
With handover so close,
this is a setback he hasn't bargained for.
It's now taking more
than what we expected, so--
Which is not good for us.
Now we are all getting now stressed.
These things are now taking our time out
of the other important things.
NARRATOR: Behind the marble
there's concrete breeze block
and still no sign of
the source of the leak.
LODEWYK: Can someone
get a plug on that thing?
The whole floor is getting flooded.
NARRATOR: There's nothing else for it.
This section of wall has got to go.
LODEWYK: Open it.
DEJAN: Cut this toilet measure this marble
to cut the flooring, okay?
NARRATOR:
After smashing through the marble,
the engineer manages
to find the leaking pipe,
but there's no easy fix.
It's going to take a bit longer
than what we expected, because
we break now the block of wall
to be able to get to
the connection point behind the wall.
And the guys have now located
where the leaks is
and started pulling out
the tile-- the pipe.
NARRATOR: It's a bad time
for their boss to make a surprise visit.
She knows when to come.
NARRATOR: Suzanne is expecting everything
to be finished and ready to hand over.
Let's go inside to work here.
Let's move inside to work, quick.
Open for me, please.
Go inside and see if there is anybody.
NARRATOR: Suzanne's nose for trouble
leads her straight to the disaster zone.
Why this is not fixing?
No, it was fixed. There was small leakage.
- Yes?
- Yeah, we fixed this one. Fixing back up.
- SUZANNE: Okay.
- ENGINEER: Yeah.
NARRATOR: With the concourse
so close to opening
it's yet another frustrating delay.
SUZANNE: In the first place
they should have finished them
and we should've had
two three days, you know,
of really testing the whole areas,
and they are really not ready.
They should have finished all this work,
they should be doing cleaning.
Panic.
I want them to finish
and get out of here, okay,
so we can at least troubleshoot.
It's just really very hard work.
NARRATOR: Could the opening of the vital
new concourse be delayed by a toilet leak?
Things like these leaks are happening
due to the lack of time
for the proper testing.
The minor thing could easily
turn into the big problem
within a minute if it's not treated well
and if it's not, um, done properly.
NARRATOR:
But at least the holdup is temporary.
Four days later, the leak is fixed
and the lavish business
and first-class lounges
are finally opened.
Captioned by Pixelogic Media