Ultimate Airport Dubai (2013) s02e01 Episode Script
Snakes
1
NARRATOR: In this episode, an emergency
landing puts everyone on high alert.
GEORGE: He's about to
touch down, and this is anxious moments.
NARRATOR: A passenger's
luggage holds a shocking secret.
Vital deadlines are pushed to the limit.
JUMAH: If it's not finished
today, none of you will go home.
NARRATOR: And customs officers
suspect they've discovered
a multi-million dollar drugs haul.
HASSAN: Now we'll put the swab in the
detector machine, and wait for the results.
NARRATOR: Dubai International Airport,
the busiest global hub on the planet,
and aiming to stay there.
MAN: Clear for takeoff.
NARRATOR: But perfection
is never easy.
JUMAH: It's not finished,
it's supposed to be finished.
NARRATOR: More
planes to service.
ANDY: Can we open the
number three engine?
NARRATOR: More
situations to deal with.
MEL: What do you
mean live snakes?
NARRATOR: More
smugglers to stop.
HASSAN: This is
the heroin here.
NARRATOR: And massive
engineering projects to complete on time.
It's non stop.
24/7.
CARL: Hey!
Everything is time, time, time.
NARRATOR: It's the job of
90,000 staff from all over the world,
to make this the ultimate airport.
It's 2 AM, and Dubai International
Airport doesn't slow down because it's the
middle of the night.
None of the 90,000 staff working here
know when their training, expertise, and
experience, could be
tested to the maximum.
MAN (over radio):
Three, zero right
NARRATOR: Absolute
professionalism is the name of the game.
GEORGE: Just hold on for me one
second, we've got a bit of a situation.
I just need to take this.
Yeah that's all copied thanks.
Yeah we'll get the services on standby.
Copy that thanks.
NARRATOR: Air traffic controller George
Perkins has just received the phone call
every controller dreads.
An A380 is making an emergency
return to Dubai shortly after takeoff.
One of its four engines
has suddenly shut down.
The emergency services have been scrambled
to the south runway to await its arrival.
GEORGE: So approximately when it passed
2000 feet when we got the call that his
third engine is out.
That's a critical stage of flying.
I mean on departure you're heavy, you need
as much power as you can to keep climbing.
And there's a few things
that we need to go through at the moment.
We need to get him out he's got to dump
some fuel or he'll be too heavy to land.
NARRATOR: An A380 with fully loaded
fuel tanks will weigh almost 600 tons.
Dumping more than 80,000 gallons of fuel,
worth a quarter of a million dollars,
may seem extreme.
But it's the only
way the plane will be able to safely land.
GEORGE: Basically I can see now
the A380's on about a ten mile final.
Everything's been sterile ahead of it.
He's going to be running in now, we'll
keep all vehicles clear of the runway.
We have emergency services on standby.
There'll be nothing behind the 380 on final,
in the event that the runway is blocked.
NARRATOR: In this situation it's vital
the stricken aircraft clears the runway as
quickly as possible.
With the A380 only ten miles out, and
approaching at three miles per minute, Emirates
maintenance engineer Andy
Tetley is called into action.
ANDY: I've just had a call from the
office, we've, we've just had an aircraft,
is on its way back, returning, umm
It's sudden engine failure or engine
shut down, we're not sure which one yet.
NARRATOR: Andy and his team are
responsible for any plane that lands here.
The A380 isn't one of the Emirates
fleet, but this is an emergency.
ANDY: In a situation like this
you don't assume anything.
You have to wait until it's on the ground,
you get the facts, and then you can,
you just go on from there.
NARRATOR: Back in the tower, and the next
problem facing George, is what will happen
when the A380 touches down.
GEORGE: The worst case scenario
that we can have at the moment is that the
aircraft actually lands and has to
vacate immediately and block the runway.
Or there's any debris on the runway left from
the engine as they touch down, 'cause we'll
have to do a full runway
inspection after that.
So the main thing is we don't actually want
to get this runway blocked at the moment.
NARRATOR: If the A380 is stranded on the
runway, this will be a major problem for
air traffic control.
As all incoming planes
will have to be diverted.
That could be over 60 planes
in the next two hours alone.
The unfolding drama could even
close the airport entirely.
GEORGE: If all the emergency services are
busy with this, the A380 on the runway with an
emergency, we must be able to attend to
another emergency on the Northern runway if we
divert to that runway.
If we are unable to maintain that, if the
incident is very big, we will suspend landing
and takeoff at Dubai, we'll have to hold.
We're talking about diverts,
delays, fuel emergencies.
ANDY: Just thought
I'd let you know.
Cheers then.
NARRATOR: On the tarmac,
engineer Andy and his team are ready
for just that eventuality.
To get the aircraft off the
runway as quickly as possible.
ANDY: The reason I'm here with the guys, is
that if there is an issue and the aircraft does
stop on the runway, or the taxi
way, because it is, it isn't able to taxi
in for any reason.
Then that's why we have to go out.
GEORGE (off-screen): Basically
everybody's on high alert at the moment,
the aircraft's on short final.
Everybody will be looking at the
aircraft, making sure the runway's clear,
and then we'll assess the
situation from there.
Ask the pilot what
his intentions, are they able to taxi?
Are the holding position?
Are the evacuating?
GEORGE (off-screen): We're just
waiting for that call now.
We won't interfere with the pilot on
short final, cockpit work load's high.
You can see now on
short final, he's about to touch down,
and this is anxious moments.
GEORGE (off-screen): He seems to have been
touched down safely, he's rolling out,
he's not veering off the
runway at the moment.
Everything seems to be fine.
MAN (over radio): Zero, two
ANDY: That's the aircraft
that's just now, now landed.
ANDY (off-screen):
You can see there.
Yeah looks like it's okay.
It's taxiing in now I think.
NARRATOR: Thankfully on
this occasion the emergency services
haven't had to intervene.
But for Andy and his
engineers, their job is just beginning.
Until Andy can get eyes on the engine,
he can only speculate as to what caused
the engine to shut down.
It could be a mechanical failure, or it
could have been shut down by the pilot to
prevent further damage.
ANDY: Can we open the
number three engine?
NARRATOR: A visual check around the engine
intake and exhaust will look for any
obvious problems that may have
been the cause of the shutdown.
He's looking to see if there are any fan
blades or large pieces of metal that may have
fallen from the engine.
Andy has spoken to the pilot who says it
was an automatic shut down by the A380's
computer system.
ANDY: There is no metal, there's no
like physical damage that I can see.
But he said it just spooled
out and that was it.
And he has tried to, tried to
actually, to do an in-flight relight.
That didn't work, so
that's why they came back.
NARRATOR: So it seems the onboard
computer's instantly shut down the engine
automatically after the
sensors detected a problem,
preventing a potential disaster.
ANDY: Any gas turbine engine, if you have
an overspeed of the Viking turbine blades,
because they are contained in a disc, if you
have a massive overspeed, what can happen
because of the centrifugal force on
the blades, they will just break away.
And what you'll have is very hot blades
which can eject like sidewards, 'cause it's
just like a big Catherine
wheel that's spinning round.
That can eject, go out the engine, and
obviously what you've got just outside of the
engine, you've got the fuselage, and you've
got the wings which are full of fuel.
NARRATOR: Until the cause of the
shutdown can be identified, the plane and
passengers are going nowhere.
For Andy and his team, it
looks like being a long night.
Dubai International
is the busiest global hub in the world.
Every day 182,000 passengers pass
through, between 260 destinations.
Their luggage is routinely scanned
as it passes on to connecting flights.
The passengers may not be staying
in Dubai, but if customs and police find
something they think could
be illegal, passengers will
be stopped from their onward flight.
MEL: You'll update
pub by 4:00 yeah?
NARRATOR: Airport services manager Mel is
responsible for the smooth flow of Emirates
passengers here.
On any given day she can find herself dealing
with people arriving from almost anywhere
in the world.
In her ten years at Dubai International
there isn't much she hasn't had to deal with.
MAN (off-screen): I need a
NARRATOR: From missing luggage to
missing passengers, she has seen it all.
MEL: Hello Mel speaking.
Hold on a second, what do
you mean live snakes, where?
In her checked-in baggage?
Alright I'm on my way.
I'm on my way hon, I'm there.
I'm coming down, alright bye, bye, bye.
Okay we have an issue guys,
let's get to Concourse C, yeah.
ZAC: Yeah.
MEL: On today's flight we found
that there's one bag full of live snakes,
which has been picked up by the police.
The passenger who the baggage belongs
to has claimed that it's not her bag.
I'm not quite sure of the
full story, what's happening.
But we do need to get
down to the aircraft.
I hate snakes.
NARRATOR: The passengers in question have
arrived from Jakarta, and are transiting
through Dubai on their way to Kuwait.
A routine scan of their
luggage first alerted airport authorities.
One of Mel's colleagues who has carried out
a preliminary interview with the passengers,
has got more information about the bag.
MEL: Do we have any more
details about this passenger?
MAN: Yeah she actually,
she originally claimed that
the bag does not belong to her.
We further questioned her and then
she started to become a little nervous.
The customer who she claims the bag
belongs to, there's no such customer.
NARRATOR: With the ownership of the bag
in dispute, Mel needs to turn detective.
She speaks to an Emirates baggage handler.
MEL: Okay so when you asked her
about her baggage what did she say?
MAN (off-screen): She denied it.
She said 'these bags are
not belongs to her.'
Perhaps these, these bags are
belongs to someone else.'
She has helped that person 'cause
they were having excess baggage.
NARRATOR: Mel now needs to question the
owner of the bag and members of the traveling
party, to get their side of the story.
MEL: Yes definitely, this is
possibly a criminal case. Hello.
MAN: Hello. Please no camera.
MEL: No that's fine, no
issues. I just want to
MAN (off-screen): He's
pointing this way.
MEL: No, no, he's not going to
film you if you don't want to be filmed.
It's not a problem at all.
MEL (off-screen): In order to investigate
I need to ask you some questions.
I need to understand exactly what's happened
here okay, because what I'm getting is
that the baggage downstairs that
we found doesn't belong to you.
So I need to investigate that.
Is it your baggage that
we're talking about?
MEL (off-screen): It's
not your baggage?
NARRATOR: Whatever the truth
of their story, one thing is certain.
MEL (off-screen): At the end of the day
you and your family are not traveling, so.
You're not traveling on this flight.
We will look for a flight for you, but I need
to understand exactly what's happened here.
NARRATOR: The situation
reaches a stalemate.
The passengers claim
they do not own the bags.
The evidence suggests
that they do own them.
But Mel has to be sure.
One thing is certain, checking in bags for
another person is against the airline's policy.
MEL: Okay let's go and
have a look at the bag.
NARRATOR: Ever professional, Mel doesn't
forget that's he still has a duty of care over
the passengers and their children.
MEL: If you can get some meal vouchers, maybe
get them some food because the children are
quite small yeah.
I've got to try and understand
what's happened here.
There's two different stories.
One is that the baggage doesn't
belong to the passenger, and that the
passenger was just
assisting another passenger.
In addition to which there's other conflicting
stories saying that the baggage does
belong to the passengers.
So we need to get to
the bottom of it really.
NARRATOR: This situation is going to call on
all her years of experience if she's to find
the answers she needs.
NARRATOR: With the ownership of luggage full
of live snakes in dispute, airport services
manager Mel needs to get
to the bottom of the story.
The passengers who checked
it in deny it's theirs.
Mel goes to the
baggage handling area to see for herself.
MEL: I'm following you,
this is new for me.
MAN: We have discovered
today something.
MEL: Yes.
MAN: See it, snakes.
MEL: Oh.
Are they eggs?
Those are eggs right?
MAN (off-screen): Could be.
NARRATOR: The scans show
the cases are packed with snakes and eggs.
These cases are alive.
This large case contains a huge snake.
MEL: Oh my gosh.
I'm just curious to know
we've got the other baggage
that belongs to the same passengers.
So I'm just curious
to know what's been packed in those bags.
Maybe there'll be another
surprise, who knows?
Oh my gosh.
And what's in here?
Oh that's a, oh.
That's upset me, that has.
NARRATOR: The cases are full of monkeys,
and there are even kittens in there, likely
destined to be fed to the snakes.
MAN: So it's not allowed.
MEL: No, no of course not.
This has to be declared
by customs and everything.
We need certificates.
NARRATOR: Live animals can only be transported
legally with the correct paperwork and
in proper containers.
And if the animals are an endangered
species, the maximum punishment in Dubai is
up to six months in jail
and a fine of over $10,000.
MEL (off-screen): Let's go.
It, it's absolutely heart wrenching.
I, I hate to think how
those animals are feeling.
All I can hear is
the crying so I don't really want to look.
I think everybody's feeling the same.
It's not a nice situation at all.
It's inhumane actually.
NARRATOR: Any item of luggage that has disputed
ownership is a massive security risk, and
coupled with the animal
trafficking, Mel has only one option.
To hand over the matter
to the Dubai police.
MEL: I'll you see you then.
Although the passenger's suggesting that
she tried to help another passenger with
excess baggage.
Ultimately she checked in those bags.
The baggage receipts are under her name.
And again, he said if it had been any illegal
substances it's very easy for people to
turn around and say 'I checked
it in for somebody else.'
So they are going to pursue
a case in this instance.
They're going to take the passenger
and the other passengers upstairs that are
traveling with her,
to the main police office in Concourse B.
This is now a, a criminal case.
NARRATOR: With the animals now safely cared
for and the passengers facing a police
investigation, Mel can
return to the main terminal.
It's 3 AM on Dubai
International's southern runway.
ANDY: Can we open the
number three engine?
NARRATOR: Emirates maintenance engineer Andy
Tetley has been battling with the engine of
another airline's A380, which had
to make an emergency landing after
it automatically shut down.
Without any obvious external damage, or
any visible damage to the engine under the
cowling, it looks like Andy and his team
will need to investigate the cause of the
shutdown in greater detail.
So with the cowling of the
failed engine three open,
Andy can start his internal inspection.
ANDY: Okay, it has lost oil.
MAN (off-screen): Yeah
ANDY: It's actually lost quite a bit of
oil, but it has still oil in the system.
It's supposed to be about 17
quarts of oil, we're down to about ten.
But even if it is, if it has gone down to
that much, that's still not going to cause the
engine to fail.
It looks like from first impression that
there's an internal failure of the gear
box, internal in the engine, which is going
down the road of a possible engine change.
NARRATOR: Unfortunately for the passengers
on board, they aren't going anywhere and they
must remain on the plane.
Passenger safety is paramount,
however frustrating it might be.
Two and a half hours later, and as the sun
rises over Dubai International, Andy has
to admit defeat.
ANDY: It had actually
failed, so it is very rare.
I mean there's only been a handful of times
these have ever happened, and in fact I
was just speaking to the captain, 32 years
and it was his first ever engine failure
in 32 years.
NARRATOR: And after a long night sitting
on the plane, all the passengers and their
luggage are taken off.
They'll have to wait for a new flight to
be arranged for their onward journey.
But the stricken A380 is pushed
away to have a new engine fitted.
ANDY: And now we're
just going to get it prepared to be towed.
It's going to be, go over the other side to
the hangar, and then we'll, we'll actually
get it prepped for an
engine change basically.
NARRATOR: Jumah Al-Mazrooie
is head of project delivery at
Dubai Aviation engineering projects.
He's one of the team responsible for
delivering the massive construction fueling
the airport's expansion.
Last year saw the completion of the
World's first dedicated A380 concourse.
The $3.2 billion concourse A.
JUMAH: Failure is not
an option for us here.
This is Dubai.
I don't need friends here at the airport.
I need the building to be finished.
Once it is done then we
can be friends forever.
NARRATOR: This year engineering projects
are doing vital repairs to the runways.
The cost of handling more international
passengers than any other hub is
huge wear and tear.
Every 92 seconds heavy
jets including colossal A380's,
weighing up to 600 tons,
pound the tarmac on takeoff and landing.
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The extreme weight coupled with a ground
temperature of a sweltering 140 degrees, take a
heavy toll on the runway.
With the airport open day and night, there's
little time for the constant repair needed to
keep them in operational condition.
Dubai International is
planning something radical.
Shutting down one runway at
a time for vital repairs.
For nearly three months there
will be only one runway.
A massive cut in capacity.
Many planes that normally fly into Dubai
International will divert to Dubai World Central,
a new airport in the desert.
It has to be ready for any
overspill in four days.
And just like last year,
the pressure is on Jumah.
JUMAH: If you think you
will finish a project with no problems
that means you are dreaming.
You're living in a dream.
NARRATOR: Jumah is
making a site inspection.
First up, the cargo stands.
JUMAH: Is the
consultant here yet?
NARRATOR: He's come to give the contractors
an urgent reminder of their deadline.
JUMAH: So, today is the
15th, we have only four days.
NARRATOR: The handing over of
the site cannot be delayed.
But Jumah wants the work finished
to his exacting high standards.
JUMAH: Full cleaning of
the site has been done?
MAN: Yes, done,
done and inspected
JUMAH: What about
FOD, what about FOD?
Go, no.
NARRATOR: Any FOD or foreign object
debris can seriously damage a plane.
JUMAH: See guys you
did a very good job.
You finished everything.
But you cannot have the last
mile not reaching what we need.
MAN: No more snags.
JUMAH: If we need to do any snag
in any area we're going to close it up
and we'll get on.
But I cannot keep all
of this area ready and not operational.
MAN (off-screen): Yes.
NARRATOR: And if the problem of FOD
wasn't bad enough, eagle-eyed Jumah
has spotted another one.
JUMAH (off-screen): My
first worry is this drain.
It's full with sand.
That's when you have to
re-unscrew, screw everything, clear it up.
NARRATOR: It may rain only seven days a
year in Dubai, but Jumah insists that the
drainage system is fully functioning.
The list of problems doesn't stop there.
Before the cargo stands can be declared
operational, they need to have a fire safety
certificate, which means they
need a fire department inspection.
MAN (off-screen): Come here,
where is fire chief inspection?
JUMAH: Arranged when?
MAN: Salim.
MAN: Salim.
JUMAH: Which Salim?
MAN: Salim Aripopo.
JUMAH: Crazy, crazy, guys.
I'm sorry today is the 15th.
No I don't want
NARRATOR: Nobody seems to be taking
responsibility for getting the certificates.
With four days to go it's
all too much for Jumah.
JUMAH: Who is taking notes of
what we need to do and when?
JUMAH (off-screen):
Who is writing here?
Who is writing the action?
Who's writing the action?
What action did you write so far?
We have the full FOD and
the cleaning up of the area.
We have the fire chief certificate.
What Salim say?
MAN: He's not answer.
JUMAH: Okay call him again.
If it's not finished today,
none of you will go home.
It's not as easy as we thought.
Today is the 15th, 19th we're supposed to
have the first flight in the morning, and it
seems that we still have two or
three inspections that need to be done.
Sometimes I started too.
Let's go.
NARRATOR: But the site
inspection is not over yet.
Jumah still has to inspect the passenger
terminals, that will also need to be ready in four
days' time.
As an Islamic nation, the United Arab Emirates
have very strict rules about offensive
items entering their country.
Religious pamphlets, pornographic material,
and any books or magazines which don't
comply with their religious
values are forbidden.
In addition it has one of the world's
strictest policies on illegal drugs.
There is zero tolerance.
Customs officers at Dubai International
Airport have to vet around 182,000 passengers
a day from all over the world.
One of the customs
officers is Hassan Ibrahim.
For the past 14 years he's been working
on the front line, detecting and stopping
passengers who are
bringing in illicit goods.
HASSAN: So I have just now
a call from my colleagues.
There is a one passenger who is acting
suspiciously, and we have to check him now.
NARRATOR: At Terminal 2, Hassan and
his team from customs are alerted by the
behavior of one passenger who has just
taken his luggage off the conveyer belt.
Hassan's team have taken
him to their office to question him.
HASSAN (off-screen): We have a
passenger here who is from Tajikistan.
He doesn't speak English.
(speaking in native language)
So now we're trying to speak with him and
like 'cause he is speaking little bit Russian
and Persian.
So I'm trying to communicate
with him in Persian.
(speaking in native language)
He'll stay three days, and he will
buy some, some paints from here.
After that you are going to Moscow,
and I think it's not a good story.
(speaking in native language)
Now I'm asking passenger for his ticket
to see if he is saying the truth or not.
Okay, so here's the passenger's ticket.
It's one way only, not two ways.
So if he's saying the truth it should
be Dushanbe, Dubai, Dubai, Moscow.
But it's only Dushanbe, Dubai.
NARRATOR: He's arrived from Tajikistan, and
despite the passenger saying he is going
to Moscow, there is no
onward flight booked.
In Hassan's experience
this is very suspicious.
(speaking in native language)
HASSAN: Here the passenger is
denying that the bags belongs to him.
He said that in Dushanbe Airport he have,
a black bag not white,
and this bag not belongs to him.
I told him if it is not your
bag from the beginning, why did you
pick it up from the belt?
Your bag is black and this bag
is white, it's totally different colors.
NARRATOR: The passenger says
he checked in a black bag.
But his luggage receipt
matches the white bag he was stopped with.
HASSAN: And as you see,
that's his tag number.
HASSAN (off-screen): I
compare the tag number with the passenger.
The same details, same number,
so the bags belongs to him.
(speaking in native language)
So these are his personal things.
It's been checked, nothing in it.
NARRATOR: Having found nothing in the contents,
they need to scan the bags themselves.
HASSAN (off-screen):
Okay that way.
NARRATOR: They want to see
whether anything has been hidden inside
the linings of the bags.
If there is anything in the bags that
shouldn't be there, the passenger will be in
serious trouble.
Dubai has some of
the strictest drug laws in the world.
Possession of even a trace of illegal
substance carries a minimum four years in jail.
The maximum sentence is death.
NARRATOR: Dubai International handles more
than 2.6 million tons of cargo every year.
And being Dubai, a millionaire's
playground, it's home to some of the most
expensive cars in the world.
And with cars this expensive, sometimes
their owners just can't bear to be parted.
Emirates send nearly 1,000 cars around the world
every year to be reunited with their owners.
Primarily to the UK, Italy, and Germany.
Heading up the team responsible for
getting these super cars safely loaded on
board is Carl, who's been
doing the job for ten years.
Today he's working with team member Sayed
Achmed, who has a rather special item of cargo
that is leaving Dubai to
be reunited with its owner.
A $270,000 Ferrari F149.
Normally cargo is loaded in regular shaped
containers, making it easier to load.
But a Ferrari like this that costs a fortune
will be loaded directly on a flat pallet.
SAYED: This is a Ferrari, it
arrived from Bombay last night.
Now it's departing on EK45 for Frankfurt.
NARRATOR: It will be such a
tight fit, there's no room for any
extra protection for the paintwork.
For this super car, the bill
for any scratches or dents will run into
thousands of dollars.
The pallets with their precious cargo,
move into the aircraft's hold via a system
of steel spheres that can be
programmed to move through 360 degrees.
They can move 7.7 tons a fraction
of an inch at the flick of a switch.
SAYED: Okay.
Check the sides.
NARRATOR: Sayed has placed his trust in
his superstar driver Tariq, to help steer
the 15-foot super car on the pallets.
SAYED (off-screen): Tariq is
one of the best guys we have.
He is an expert in car loading.
I mean he has loaded so many cars, exotic
cars, difficult cars, and he knows, I mean,
which angle we should put the car
inside, and how to turn, and when to turn.
SAYED (off-screen): You
know these are most difficult moments.
If you do not turn it in the right
direction then it might damage
the aircraft and the car.
NARRATOR: Any damage to the walls of the
plane will mean it won't be able to take off
until it's been thoroughly checked.
Something that would cost
a lot more than a respray.
But he's made it look easy.
The pallet can slide into place.
That's a job well done for Tariq.
The Ferrari may have cost a
fortune, but for Carl things are about
to get a whole lot trickier.
He has a two ton Mercedes S-Class that needs
to fit into the smaller cargo hold of a
767 going to Uzbekistan.
CARL: I'm going to actually have a quick
inspection of the vehicle as well now, and I'll
make a note that there is
no damage to the vehicle.
We've had incidents before where a vehicle
comes off a flight and then they report
scratches and damage.
CARL (off-screen): Before offloading
the vehicles as well we also have to carry
out an inspection well,
'cause we don't want the customer coming
back to us and saying you've damaged our
vehicle, here's the bill,
thank you very much.
NARRATOR: Carl has
overseen the loading of hundreds of cars.
But he can never take
any shortcuts with cargo this precious.
CARL: They're going to move the car onto this
pallet, and what they're doing is they're
latching it to this so
that they don't slip apart.
CARL (off-screen): The pallets
have to stay together.
The edges of the wheels
will be right on the edge of that pallet.
They'll be right on the edge.
You'll see in a second.
It's a very long wheel base so
the wheels will just fit on.
NARRATOR: And once again there is only
one man he calls to help him load the car.
It's Tariq.
CARL: As you can see, the
wheels don't actually fit on the pallet.
But it's okay as it is, it's still okay.
NARRATOR: The Mercedes S-Class is 17 feet
long, and it's not going in without a fight.
CARL (off-screen): Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
This is very, very difficult.
This car once you get it to here,
you can see just how big it is.
This is not going to be easy.
CARL (off-screen):
Slowly, ever so slowly.
(speaking in native language)
NARRATOR: Whilst it's all hands on the
Mercedes down on the ground, the efforts of
Carl and Tariq haven't gone unnoticed
up in the air traffic control tower.
Where they seem to be providing some light
relief from the extreme concentration
usually required.
GEORGE: There's about
five of them trying to get this on board.
Maybe they should tie
it to the roof up there.
Must be quite nerve racking for them,
driving onto that $150 million plane.
NARRATOR: Back down on the tarmac, and Carl
and Tariq are edging the two ton car inch by
inch into the hold.
It may look impossible to get a Mercedes to
turn 90 degrees round such a tight corner, but
it's the pallet system
that makes it possible.
TARIQ: Okay.
NARRATOR: The pallet system and years of
experience, all that's needed to get a 17-foot
Mercedes into the hold.
NARRATOR: Jumah Al-Mazrooie,
director of project delivery is
having a day he'd rather forget.
He's continuing a site inspection of
Dubai World Central, that will be serving
as a back up airport when the
runways of Dubai International
are closed for 80 days for resurfacing.
The site needs to be ready in four days.
So far that seems a long way off.
He's just arrived at what will be the passenger
terminal if there are more flights than
Dubai International can handle.
JUMAH: Why are we
keeping this space?
MAN: This is emergency exit.
JUMAH: Emergency exit.
NARRATOR: If all goes well, this
building will never need to be used, but
Jumah needs to make sure
it's perfect, just in case.
MAN: It's a gate
JUMAH: So we're going to have
some sign on it?
MAN: Yes.
JUMAH: They will
has to push it.
MAN: Signage coming
from Emirates.
JUMAH (off-screen):
Are you sure?
NARRATOR: In the 700,000
square foot arrival hall,
Jumah still wants work to be done.
JUMAH:
Is it tested?
MAN (off-screen): Tested, yeah.
JUMAH: Can we have one
last just floor mopping?
MAN (off-screen): Yeah,
yeah, the cleaning will
JUMAH: We need to
have it just before.
MAN: Shortly before.
JUMAH: They requested
for more offices.
MAN: We need eight
power points.
JUMAH: This is Emirates.
NARRATOR: Every little detail
needs to be addressed before
Jumah is ready to hand it over.
JUMAH: I think
we're ready guys.
MAN: Yes.
JUMAH: I'm really, you know,
delighted, I'm very happy.
NARRATOR: But there is still one more critical
inspection to come, and the whole project
hinges on the site being up
to Jumah's high standards.
At Terminal 2 customs officer Hassan and
his team are about to scan the bags of a
passenger arriving from
Tajikistan, who raised their suspicions
in the baggage reclaim area.
They're concerned that he has no onbound flight
booked, and that he claims the bag checked
in by him is not his bag.
Dubai has strict laws about the importing
of certain goods, and for illegal drugs,
some of the severest
penalties in the world.
The maximum penalty for
drug smuggling is death.
HASSAN: In a normal bag,
shouldn't be any greens here.
NARRATOR: In Hassan's experience
the solid areas of green reveal secret
compartments within the
linings of the cases.
HASSAN: And also this
bag, it's obvious more here, the suitcase.
HASSAN (off-screen): The normal
bags should be like on the left side,
without any density in it.
But here you can see
there's a density here.
So it's obvious there's
something inside the bag.
NARRATOR: Knowing there is something being
deliberately concealed, the team starts to
take the bags apart.
MAN: When I searched these bags I
found some, some I feel the weight that
it's not a normal weight.
So I try to move it a bit, I found out
there is something un-normal on the bag.
HASSAN (off-screen): This
is the normal bag, but when you unwrap it,
inside we found another piece also.
Nobody will hide some
legal things in this way.
Here it have a smell of heroin.
HASSAN (off-screen): The drugs
here they have many, many tricks.
Like one of the tricks is just keep it in the
bottom of the bags, and also they're using
the human being also as a
carrier inside their stomachs.
He planned to just carry
the drugs and drop it here.
NARRATOR: If these slabs are
indeed heroin, it will have
severe consequences for the passenger.
HASSAN: We're using the detector machine
with the sticks to take a swab from it
and put it in the detector
machine to give us the result
of what we found with the passenger.
Now we'll put the swab in the
detector machine, and wait for the result.
HASSAN (off-screen): As you can see that
give us a red alarm, that means drugs.
It means heroin.
I was positive that this is drugs and
positive that it is heroin from the smell.
NARRATOR: It's a big find
for Hassan and his team.
HASSAN: I guess it is around 14 kg, kilogram,
and I believe it is worth on the market
above the three million US dollar.
NARRATOR: These are grave allegations,
and the passenger could face a long prison
sentence or possibly the death penalty.
HASSAN: I feel angry because he's trying
to like enter drugs in my country and
destroy the society.
HASSAN (off-screen): And now
the drug section, they are arrived now.
They will take away the passenger,
and I think that will be the last time the
passenger will see his
freedom for a while.
NARRATOR: Jumah Al-Mazrooie has four days
until Dubai World Central has to be ready
to receive flights from Dubai International
as they start their massive program of
runway resurfacing.
He's already inspected the cargo
stands, and the passenger terminals here.
But he's now at the main warehouse for
Emirates cargo, and this also has to be ready.
JUMAH: It's a big challenge.
The whole construction here started late.
But we have no
excuses anymore, and they have no excuses.
We finish, they have to finish.
They have their own contractor and consultant
from Emirates, and we have to support them.
We're all here as one team of aviation.
Alright let's go.
NARRATOR: But outside
it doesn't look like it will be ready.
JUMAH: Are they
going to inspect the fire hydrant outside?
That is very important
in case of any fire during the operation.
Huge amount of cargo is in there.
MAN: I know.
MAN: This system has been inspected by our
references and it will be commissioned.
JUMAH (off-screen): Okay.
I don't see that but
NARRATOR: And inside
doesn't look any better.
JUMAH: This area should be
all cleared from storage.
Clean it up.
NARRATOR: The construction has
been the responsibility of project manager
Mr. Herrick Lai, who is now
getting the full Jumah treatment.
JUMAH: Fire is coming for inspection,
where is the smoke extraction?
NARRATOR: Without adequate smoke extraction,
the hall won't be a viable operation,
and once again Jumah
is finding problems at almost every turn.
JUMAH: What makes me more
nervous is that if I ask questions
and I don't get proper answer.
NARRATOR: With Emirates reputation on the
line as one of the world's leading cargo
handlers, Jumah cannot
allow the project to fail.
He has an issue with the sand
and dust in the cargo hall.
There's no hiding when
Jumah's on the warpath.
JUMAH: Now the way these guys are doing
it it's they're just throwing up dust.
It's useless.
It's pointless, it's just wasting of time,
and the dust is just moving from one area
to another.
HENRYCK: Compared to a few
days ago this is cleaned up already.
When was the last time you were on site?
JUMAH: Two months ago.
Same thing, no big difference.
NARRATOR: Jumah wants
perfection, today.
JUMAH: These things
have been delivered
NARRATOR: One area
that absolutely has to be ready is the
temperature controlled storage.
JUMAH: So I would expect this
room to be the best area for you right?
NARRATOR: It needs to be.
With the average daily
temperature here in the Dubai summer
a scorching 105 degrees.
Jumah cannot afford for
this not to be ready.
JUMAH: This is the
good area we're having for operation huh?
HENRYCK: You see there's cleaning,
some sort of cleaning happening up there.
NARRATOR: And just when Jumah thinks it can't
get any worse, he spots an issue with the
emergency exit signs.
JUMAH: Seriously, and
I don't know looking at the whole area.
This guy is pointing this way.
JUMAH (off-screen): So if
you want to run this way,
where do you think you're going to end up?
If this guy is pointing this way where
do you think he's supposed to go?
So what do we do, we kill people in here?
No we need them to go, that is
the escape route, you see Sanjay?
MAN (off-screen): Yeah.
NARRATOR: So the
pressure is on for Jumah.
He has only four days
until the site has to be operational.
HENRYCK: We are all learning from him, we're
asking him to help us, to come in and give
us advice.
So this is exactly what he has done,
maybe a bit harsh, but it's a reality.
NARRATOR: But Jumah's
day isn't over.
He's been assured the CCTV
system is fully functioning.
But then he gets a call
from the police chief.
JUMAH: It's not working?
Okay so somebody told
me false information.
Okay do you have enough
space in your jail?
I can, I can put somebody in it yeah?
Okay that's what I need to do.
I don't like people to lie
to me. Alright bye, bye, bye.
MEL: Are they eggs?
Those are eggs right?
NARRATOR: Dubai police
confiscated the animals but,
allowed the passengers
to continue their journey to Kuwait.
The case of the alleged
heroin smuggler is ongoing.
All the facilities at Dubai
World Central opened on time.
Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.
NARRATOR: In this episode, an emergency
landing puts everyone on high alert.
GEORGE: He's about to
touch down, and this is anxious moments.
NARRATOR: A passenger's
luggage holds a shocking secret.
Vital deadlines are pushed to the limit.
JUMAH: If it's not finished
today, none of you will go home.
NARRATOR: And customs officers
suspect they've discovered
a multi-million dollar drugs haul.
HASSAN: Now we'll put the swab in the
detector machine, and wait for the results.
NARRATOR: Dubai International Airport,
the busiest global hub on the planet,
and aiming to stay there.
MAN: Clear for takeoff.
NARRATOR: But perfection
is never easy.
JUMAH: It's not finished,
it's supposed to be finished.
NARRATOR: More
planes to service.
ANDY: Can we open the
number three engine?
NARRATOR: More
situations to deal with.
MEL: What do you
mean live snakes?
NARRATOR: More
smugglers to stop.
HASSAN: This is
the heroin here.
NARRATOR: And massive
engineering projects to complete on time.
It's non stop.
24/7.
CARL: Hey!
Everything is time, time, time.
NARRATOR: It's the job of
90,000 staff from all over the world,
to make this the ultimate airport.
It's 2 AM, and Dubai International
Airport doesn't slow down because it's the
middle of the night.
None of the 90,000 staff working here
know when their training, expertise, and
experience, could be
tested to the maximum.
MAN (over radio):
Three, zero right
NARRATOR: Absolute
professionalism is the name of the game.
GEORGE: Just hold on for me one
second, we've got a bit of a situation.
I just need to take this.
Yeah that's all copied thanks.
Yeah we'll get the services on standby.
Copy that thanks.
NARRATOR: Air traffic controller George
Perkins has just received the phone call
every controller dreads.
An A380 is making an emergency
return to Dubai shortly after takeoff.
One of its four engines
has suddenly shut down.
The emergency services have been scrambled
to the south runway to await its arrival.
GEORGE: So approximately when it passed
2000 feet when we got the call that his
third engine is out.
That's a critical stage of flying.
I mean on departure you're heavy, you need
as much power as you can to keep climbing.
And there's a few things
that we need to go through at the moment.
We need to get him out he's got to dump
some fuel or he'll be too heavy to land.
NARRATOR: An A380 with fully loaded
fuel tanks will weigh almost 600 tons.
Dumping more than 80,000 gallons of fuel,
worth a quarter of a million dollars,
may seem extreme.
But it's the only
way the plane will be able to safely land.
GEORGE: Basically I can see now
the A380's on about a ten mile final.
Everything's been sterile ahead of it.
He's going to be running in now, we'll
keep all vehicles clear of the runway.
We have emergency services on standby.
There'll be nothing behind the 380 on final,
in the event that the runway is blocked.
NARRATOR: In this situation it's vital
the stricken aircraft clears the runway as
quickly as possible.
With the A380 only ten miles out, and
approaching at three miles per minute, Emirates
maintenance engineer Andy
Tetley is called into action.
ANDY: I've just had a call from the
office, we've, we've just had an aircraft,
is on its way back, returning, umm
It's sudden engine failure or engine
shut down, we're not sure which one yet.
NARRATOR: Andy and his team are
responsible for any plane that lands here.
The A380 isn't one of the Emirates
fleet, but this is an emergency.
ANDY: In a situation like this
you don't assume anything.
You have to wait until it's on the ground,
you get the facts, and then you can,
you just go on from there.
NARRATOR: Back in the tower, and the next
problem facing George, is what will happen
when the A380 touches down.
GEORGE: The worst case scenario
that we can have at the moment is that the
aircraft actually lands and has to
vacate immediately and block the runway.
Or there's any debris on the runway left from
the engine as they touch down, 'cause we'll
have to do a full runway
inspection after that.
So the main thing is we don't actually want
to get this runway blocked at the moment.
NARRATOR: If the A380 is stranded on the
runway, this will be a major problem for
air traffic control.
As all incoming planes
will have to be diverted.
That could be over 60 planes
in the next two hours alone.
The unfolding drama could even
close the airport entirely.
GEORGE: If all the emergency services are
busy with this, the A380 on the runway with an
emergency, we must be able to attend to
another emergency on the Northern runway if we
divert to that runway.
If we are unable to maintain that, if the
incident is very big, we will suspend landing
and takeoff at Dubai, we'll have to hold.
We're talking about diverts,
delays, fuel emergencies.
ANDY: Just thought
I'd let you know.
Cheers then.
NARRATOR: On the tarmac,
engineer Andy and his team are ready
for just that eventuality.
To get the aircraft off the
runway as quickly as possible.
ANDY: The reason I'm here with the guys, is
that if there is an issue and the aircraft does
stop on the runway, or the taxi
way, because it is, it isn't able to taxi
in for any reason.
Then that's why we have to go out.
GEORGE (off-screen): Basically
everybody's on high alert at the moment,
the aircraft's on short final.
Everybody will be looking at the
aircraft, making sure the runway's clear,
and then we'll assess the
situation from there.
Ask the pilot what
his intentions, are they able to taxi?
Are the holding position?
Are the evacuating?
GEORGE (off-screen): We're just
waiting for that call now.
We won't interfere with the pilot on
short final, cockpit work load's high.
You can see now on
short final, he's about to touch down,
and this is anxious moments.
GEORGE (off-screen): He seems to have been
touched down safely, he's rolling out,
he's not veering off the
runway at the moment.
Everything seems to be fine.
MAN (over radio): Zero, two
ANDY: That's the aircraft
that's just now, now landed.
ANDY (off-screen):
You can see there.
Yeah looks like it's okay.
It's taxiing in now I think.
NARRATOR: Thankfully on
this occasion the emergency services
haven't had to intervene.
But for Andy and his
engineers, their job is just beginning.
Until Andy can get eyes on the engine,
he can only speculate as to what caused
the engine to shut down.
It could be a mechanical failure, or it
could have been shut down by the pilot to
prevent further damage.
ANDY: Can we open the
number three engine?
NARRATOR: A visual check around the engine
intake and exhaust will look for any
obvious problems that may have
been the cause of the shutdown.
He's looking to see if there are any fan
blades or large pieces of metal that may have
fallen from the engine.
Andy has spoken to the pilot who says it
was an automatic shut down by the A380's
computer system.
ANDY: There is no metal, there's no
like physical damage that I can see.
But he said it just spooled
out and that was it.
And he has tried to, tried to
actually, to do an in-flight relight.
That didn't work, so
that's why they came back.
NARRATOR: So it seems the onboard
computer's instantly shut down the engine
automatically after the
sensors detected a problem,
preventing a potential disaster.
ANDY: Any gas turbine engine, if you have
an overspeed of the Viking turbine blades,
because they are contained in a disc, if you
have a massive overspeed, what can happen
because of the centrifugal force on
the blades, they will just break away.
And what you'll have is very hot blades
which can eject like sidewards, 'cause it's
just like a big Catherine
wheel that's spinning round.
That can eject, go out the engine, and
obviously what you've got just outside of the
engine, you've got the fuselage, and you've
got the wings which are full of fuel.
NARRATOR: Until the cause of the
shutdown can be identified, the plane and
passengers are going nowhere.
For Andy and his team, it
looks like being a long night.
Dubai International
is the busiest global hub in the world.
Every day 182,000 passengers pass
through, between 260 destinations.
Their luggage is routinely scanned
as it passes on to connecting flights.
The passengers may not be staying
in Dubai, but if customs and police find
something they think could
be illegal, passengers will
be stopped from their onward flight.
MEL: You'll update
pub by 4:00 yeah?
NARRATOR: Airport services manager Mel is
responsible for the smooth flow of Emirates
passengers here.
On any given day she can find herself dealing
with people arriving from almost anywhere
in the world.
In her ten years at Dubai International
there isn't much she hasn't had to deal with.
MAN (off-screen): I need a
NARRATOR: From missing luggage to
missing passengers, she has seen it all.
MEL: Hello Mel speaking.
Hold on a second, what do
you mean live snakes, where?
In her checked-in baggage?
Alright I'm on my way.
I'm on my way hon, I'm there.
I'm coming down, alright bye, bye, bye.
Okay we have an issue guys,
let's get to Concourse C, yeah.
ZAC: Yeah.
MEL: On today's flight we found
that there's one bag full of live snakes,
which has been picked up by the police.
The passenger who the baggage belongs
to has claimed that it's not her bag.
I'm not quite sure of the
full story, what's happening.
But we do need to get
down to the aircraft.
I hate snakes.
NARRATOR: The passengers in question have
arrived from Jakarta, and are transiting
through Dubai on their way to Kuwait.
A routine scan of their
luggage first alerted airport authorities.
One of Mel's colleagues who has carried out
a preliminary interview with the passengers,
has got more information about the bag.
MEL: Do we have any more
details about this passenger?
MAN: Yeah she actually,
she originally claimed that
the bag does not belong to her.
We further questioned her and then
she started to become a little nervous.
The customer who she claims the bag
belongs to, there's no such customer.
NARRATOR: With the ownership of the bag
in dispute, Mel needs to turn detective.
She speaks to an Emirates baggage handler.
MEL: Okay so when you asked her
about her baggage what did she say?
MAN (off-screen): She denied it.
She said 'these bags are
not belongs to her.'
Perhaps these, these bags are
belongs to someone else.'
She has helped that person 'cause
they were having excess baggage.
NARRATOR: Mel now needs to question the
owner of the bag and members of the traveling
party, to get their side of the story.
MEL: Yes definitely, this is
possibly a criminal case. Hello.
MAN: Hello. Please no camera.
MEL: No that's fine, no
issues. I just want to
MAN (off-screen): He's
pointing this way.
MEL: No, no, he's not going to
film you if you don't want to be filmed.
It's not a problem at all.
MEL (off-screen): In order to investigate
I need to ask you some questions.
I need to understand exactly what's happened
here okay, because what I'm getting is
that the baggage downstairs that
we found doesn't belong to you.
So I need to investigate that.
Is it your baggage that
we're talking about?
MEL (off-screen): It's
not your baggage?
NARRATOR: Whatever the truth
of their story, one thing is certain.
MEL (off-screen): At the end of the day
you and your family are not traveling, so.
You're not traveling on this flight.
We will look for a flight for you, but I need
to understand exactly what's happened here.
NARRATOR: The situation
reaches a stalemate.
The passengers claim
they do not own the bags.
The evidence suggests
that they do own them.
But Mel has to be sure.
One thing is certain, checking in bags for
another person is against the airline's policy.
MEL: Okay let's go and
have a look at the bag.
NARRATOR: Ever professional, Mel doesn't
forget that's he still has a duty of care over
the passengers and their children.
MEL: If you can get some meal vouchers, maybe
get them some food because the children are
quite small yeah.
I've got to try and understand
what's happened here.
There's two different stories.
One is that the baggage doesn't
belong to the passenger, and that the
passenger was just
assisting another passenger.
In addition to which there's other conflicting
stories saying that the baggage does
belong to the passengers.
So we need to get to
the bottom of it really.
NARRATOR: This situation is going to call on
all her years of experience if she's to find
the answers she needs.
NARRATOR: With the ownership of luggage full
of live snakes in dispute, airport services
manager Mel needs to get
to the bottom of the story.
The passengers who checked
it in deny it's theirs.
Mel goes to the
baggage handling area to see for herself.
MEL: I'm following you,
this is new for me.
MAN: We have discovered
today something.
MEL: Yes.
MAN: See it, snakes.
MEL: Oh.
Are they eggs?
Those are eggs right?
MAN (off-screen): Could be.
NARRATOR: The scans show
the cases are packed with snakes and eggs.
These cases are alive.
This large case contains a huge snake.
MEL: Oh my gosh.
I'm just curious to know
we've got the other baggage
that belongs to the same passengers.
So I'm just curious
to know what's been packed in those bags.
Maybe there'll be another
surprise, who knows?
Oh my gosh.
And what's in here?
Oh that's a, oh.
That's upset me, that has.
NARRATOR: The cases are full of monkeys,
and there are even kittens in there, likely
destined to be fed to the snakes.
MAN: So it's not allowed.
MEL: No, no of course not.
This has to be declared
by customs and everything.
We need certificates.
NARRATOR: Live animals can only be transported
legally with the correct paperwork and
in proper containers.
And if the animals are an endangered
species, the maximum punishment in Dubai is
up to six months in jail
and a fine of over $10,000.
MEL (off-screen): Let's go.
It, it's absolutely heart wrenching.
I, I hate to think how
those animals are feeling.
All I can hear is
the crying so I don't really want to look.
I think everybody's feeling the same.
It's not a nice situation at all.
It's inhumane actually.
NARRATOR: Any item of luggage that has disputed
ownership is a massive security risk, and
coupled with the animal
trafficking, Mel has only one option.
To hand over the matter
to the Dubai police.
MEL: I'll you see you then.
Although the passenger's suggesting that
she tried to help another passenger with
excess baggage.
Ultimately she checked in those bags.
The baggage receipts are under her name.
And again, he said if it had been any illegal
substances it's very easy for people to
turn around and say 'I checked
it in for somebody else.'
So they are going to pursue
a case in this instance.
They're going to take the passenger
and the other passengers upstairs that are
traveling with her,
to the main police office in Concourse B.
This is now a, a criminal case.
NARRATOR: With the animals now safely cared
for and the passengers facing a police
investigation, Mel can
return to the main terminal.
It's 3 AM on Dubai
International's southern runway.
ANDY: Can we open the
number three engine?
NARRATOR: Emirates maintenance engineer Andy
Tetley has been battling with the engine of
another airline's A380, which had
to make an emergency landing after
it automatically shut down.
Without any obvious external damage, or
any visible damage to the engine under the
cowling, it looks like Andy and his team
will need to investigate the cause of the
shutdown in greater detail.
So with the cowling of the
failed engine three open,
Andy can start his internal inspection.
ANDY: Okay, it has lost oil.
MAN (off-screen): Yeah
ANDY: It's actually lost quite a bit of
oil, but it has still oil in the system.
It's supposed to be about 17
quarts of oil, we're down to about ten.
But even if it is, if it has gone down to
that much, that's still not going to cause the
engine to fail.
It looks like from first impression that
there's an internal failure of the gear
box, internal in the engine, which is going
down the road of a possible engine change.
NARRATOR: Unfortunately for the passengers
on board, they aren't going anywhere and they
must remain on the plane.
Passenger safety is paramount,
however frustrating it might be.
Two and a half hours later, and as the sun
rises over Dubai International, Andy has
to admit defeat.
ANDY: It had actually
failed, so it is very rare.
I mean there's only been a handful of times
these have ever happened, and in fact I
was just speaking to the captain, 32 years
and it was his first ever engine failure
in 32 years.
NARRATOR: And after a long night sitting
on the plane, all the passengers and their
luggage are taken off.
They'll have to wait for a new flight to
be arranged for their onward journey.
But the stricken A380 is pushed
away to have a new engine fitted.
ANDY: And now we're
just going to get it prepared to be towed.
It's going to be, go over the other side to
the hangar, and then we'll, we'll actually
get it prepped for an
engine change basically.
NARRATOR: Jumah Al-Mazrooie
is head of project delivery at
Dubai Aviation engineering projects.
He's one of the team responsible for
delivering the massive construction fueling
the airport's expansion.
Last year saw the completion of the
World's first dedicated A380 concourse.
The $3.2 billion concourse A.
JUMAH: Failure is not
an option for us here.
This is Dubai.
I don't need friends here at the airport.
I need the building to be finished.
Once it is done then we
can be friends forever.
NARRATOR: This year engineering projects
are doing vital repairs to the runways.
The cost of handling more international
passengers than any other hub is
huge wear and tear.
Every 92 seconds heavy
jets including colossal A380's,
weighing up to 600 tons,
pound the tarmac on takeoff and landing.
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The extreme weight coupled with a ground
temperature of a sweltering 140 degrees, take a
heavy toll on the runway.
With the airport open day and night, there's
little time for the constant repair needed to
keep them in operational condition.
Dubai International is
planning something radical.
Shutting down one runway at
a time for vital repairs.
For nearly three months there
will be only one runway.
A massive cut in capacity.
Many planes that normally fly into Dubai
International will divert to Dubai World Central,
a new airport in the desert.
It has to be ready for any
overspill in four days.
And just like last year,
the pressure is on Jumah.
JUMAH: If you think you
will finish a project with no problems
that means you are dreaming.
You're living in a dream.
NARRATOR: Jumah is
making a site inspection.
First up, the cargo stands.
JUMAH: Is the
consultant here yet?
NARRATOR: He's come to give the contractors
an urgent reminder of their deadline.
JUMAH: So, today is the
15th, we have only four days.
NARRATOR: The handing over of
the site cannot be delayed.
But Jumah wants the work finished
to his exacting high standards.
JUMAH: Full cleaning of
the site has been done?
MAN: Yes, done,
done and inspected
JUMAH: What about
FOD, what about FOD?
Go, no.
NARRATOR: Any FOD or foreign object
debris can seriously damage a plane.
JUMAH: See guys you
did a very good job.
You finished everything.
But you cannot have the last
mile not reaching what we need.
MAN: No more snags.
JUMAH: If we need to do any snag
in any area we're going to close it up
and we'll get on.
But I cannot keep all
of this area ready and not operational.
MAN (off-screen): Yes.
NARRATOR: And if the problem of FOD
wasn't bad enough, eagle-eyed Jumah
has spotted another one.
JUMAH (off-screen): My
first worry is this drain.
It's full with sand.
That's when you have to
re-unscrew, screw everything, clear it up.
NARRATOR: It may rain only seven days a
year in Dubai, but Jumah insists that the
drainage system is fully functioning.
The list of problems doesn't stop there.
Before the cargo stands can be declared
operational, they need to have a fire safety
certificate, which means they
need a fire department inspection.
MAN (off-screen): Come here,
where is fire chief inspection?
JUMAH: Arranged when?
MAN: Salim.
MAN: Salim.
JUMAH: Which Salim?
MAN: Salim Aripopo.
JUMAH: Crazy, crazy, guys.
I'm sorry today is the 15th.
No I don't want
NARRATOR: Nobody seems to be taking
responsibility for getting the certificates.
With four days to go it's
all too much for Jumah.
JUMAH: Who is taking notes of
what we need to do and when?
JUMAH (off-screen):
Who is writing here?
Who is writing the action?
Who's writing the action?
What action did you write so far?
We have the full FOD and
the cleaning up of the area.
We have the fire chief certificate.
What Salim say?
MAN: He's not answer.
JUMAH: Okay call him again.
If it's not finished today,
none of you will go home.
It's not as easy as we thought.
Today is the 15th, 19th we're supposed to
have the first flight in the morning, and it
seems that we still have two or
three inspections that need to be done.
Sometimes I started too.
Let's go.
NARRATOR: But the site
inspection is not over yet.
Jumah still has to inspect the passenger
terminals, that will also need to be ready in four
days' time.
As an Islamic nation, the United Arab Emirates
have very strict rules about offensive
items entering their country.
Religious pamphlets, pornographic material,
and any books or magazines which don't
comply with their religious
values are forbidden.
In addition it has one of the world's
strictest policies on illegal drugs.
There is zero tolerance.
Customs officers at Dubai International
Airport have to vet around 182,000 passengers
a day from all over the world.
One of the customs
officers is Hassan Ibrahim.
For the past 14 years he's been working
on the front line, detecting and stopping
passengers who are
bringing in illicit goods.
HASSAN: So I have just now
a call from my colleagues.
There is a one passenger who is acting
suspiciously, and we have to check him now.
NARRATOR: At Terminal 2, Hassan and
his team from customs are alerted by the
behavior of one passenger who has just
taken his luggage off the conveyer belt.
Hassan's team have taken
him to their office to question him.
HASSAN (off-screen): We have a
passenger here who is from Tajikistan.
He doesn't speak English.
(speaking in native language)
So now we're trying to speak with him and
like 'cause he is speaking little bit Russian
and Persian.
So I'm trying to communicate
with him in Persian.
(speaking in native language)
He'll stay three days, and he will
buy some, some paints from here.
After that you are going to Moscow,
and I think it's not a good story.
(speaking in native language)
Now I'm asking passenger for his ticket
to see if he is saying the truth or not.
Okay, so here's the passenger's ticket.
It's one way only, not two ways.
So if he's saying the truth it should
be Dushanbe, Dubai, Dubai, Moscow.
But it's only Dushanbe, Dubai.
NARRATOR: He's arrived from Tajikistan, and
despite the passenger saying he is going
to Moscow, there is no
onward flight booked.
In Hassan's experience
this is very suspicious.
(speaking in native language)
HASSAN: Here the passenger is
denying that the bags belongs to him.
He said that in Dushanbe Airport he have,
a black bag not white,
and this bag not belongs to him.
I told him if it is not your
bag from the beginning, why did you
pick it up from the belt?
Your bag is black and this bag
is white, it's totally different colors.
NARRATOR: The passenger says
he checked in a black bag.
But his luggage receipt
matches the white bag he was stopped with.
HASSAN: And as you see,
that's his tag number.
HASSAN (off-screen): I
compare the tag number with the passenger.
The same details, same number,
so the bags belongs to him.
(speaking in native language)
So these are his personal things.
It's been checked, nothing in it.
NARRATOR: Having found nothing in the contents,
they need to scan the bags themselves.
HASSAN (off-screen):
Okay that way.
NARRATOR: They want to see
whether anything has been hidden inside
the linings of the bags.
If there is anything in the bags that
shouldn't be there, the passenger will be in
serious trouble.
Dubai has some of
the strictest drug laws in the world.
Possession of even a trace of illegal
substance carries a minimum four years in jail.
The maximum sentence is death.
NARRATOR: Dubai International handles more
than 2.6 million tons of cargo every year.
And being Dubai, a millionaire's
playground, it's home to some of the most
expensive cars in the world.
And with cars this expensive, sometimes
their owners just can't bear to be parted.
Emirates send nearly 1,000 cars around the world
every year to be reunited with their owners.
Primarily to the UK, Italy, and Germany.
Heading up the team responsible for
getting these super cars safely loaded on
board is Carl, who's been
doing the job for ten years.
Today he's working with team member Sayed
Achmed, who has a rather special item of cargo
that is leaving Dubai to
be reunited with its owner.
A $270,000 Ferrari F149.
Normally cargo is loaded in regular shaped
containers, making it easier to load.
But a Ferrari like this that costs a fortune
will be loaded directly on a flat pallet.
SAYED: This is a Ferrari, it
arrived from Bombay last night.
Now it's departing on EK45 for Frankfurt.
NARRATOR: It will be such a
tight fit, there's no room for any
extra protection for the paintwork.
For this super car, the bill
for any scratches or dents will run into
thousands of dollars.
The pallets with their precious cargo,
move into the aircraft's hold via a system
of steel spheres that can be
programmed to move through 360 degrees.
They can move 7.7 tons a fraction
of an inch at the flick of a switch.
SAYED: Okay.
Check the sides.
NARRATOR: Sayed has placed his trust in
his superstar driver Tariq, to help steer
the 15-foot super car on the pallets.
SAYED (off-screen): Tariq is
one of the best guys we have.
He is an expert in car loading.
I mean he has loaded so many cars, exotic
cars, difficult cars, and he knows, I mean,
which angle we should put the car
inside, and how to turn, and when to turn.
SAYED (off-screen): You
know these are most difficult moments.
If you do not turn it in the right
direction then it might damage
the aircraft and the car.
NARRATOR: Any damage to the walls of the
plane will mean it won't be able to take off
until it's been thoroughly checked.
Something that would cost
a lot more than a respray.
But he's made it look easy.
The pallet can slide into place.
That's a job well done for Tariq.
The Ferrari may have cost a
fortune, but for Carl things are about
to get a whole lot trickier.
He has a two ton Mercedes S-Class that needs
to fit into the smaller cargo hold of a
767 going to Uzbekistan.
CARL: I'm going to actually have a quick
inspection of the vehicle as well now, and I'll
make a note that there is
no damage to the vehicle.
We've had incidents before where a vehicle
comes off a flight and then they report
scratches and damage.
CARL (off-screen): Before offloading
the vehicles as well we also have to carry
out an inspection well,
'cause we don't want the customer coming
back to us and saying you've damaged our
vehicle, here's the bill,
thank you very much.
NARRATOR: Carl has
overseen the loading of hundreds of cars.
But he can never take
any shortcuts with cargo this precious.
CARL: They're going to move the car onto this
pallet, and what they're doing is they're
latching it to this so
that they don't slip apart.
CARL (off-screen): The pallets
have to stay together.
The edges of the wheels
will be right on the edge of that pallet.
They'll be right on the edge.
You'll see in a second.
It's a very long wheel base so
the wheels will just fit on.
NARRATOR: And once again there is only
one man he calls to help him load the car.
It's Tariq.
CARL: As you can see, the
wheels don't actually fit on the pallet.
But it's okay as it is, it's still okay.
NARRATOR: The Mercedes S-Class is 17 feet
long, and it's not going in without a fight.
CARL (off-screen): Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
This is very, very difficult.
This car once you get it to here,
you can see just how big it is.
This is not going to be easy.
CARL (off-screen):
Slowly, ever so slowly.
(speaking in native language)
NARRATOR: Whilst it's all hands on the
Mercedes down on the ground, the efforts of
Carl and Tariq haven't gone unnoticed
up in the air traffic control tower.
Where they seem to be providing some light
relief from the extreme concentration
usually required.
GEORGE: There's about
five of them trying to get this on board.
Maybe they should tie
it to the roof up there.
Must be quite nerve racking for them,
driving onto that $150 million plane.
NARRATOR: Back down on the tarmac, and Carl
and Tariq are edging the two ton car inch by
inch into the hold.
It may look impossible to get a Mercedes to
turn 90 degrees round such a tight corner, but
it's the pallet system
that makes it possible.
TARIQ: Okay.
NARRATOR: The pallet system and years of
experience, all that's needed to get a 17-foot
Mercedes into the hold.
NARRATOR: Jumah Al-Mazrooie,
director of project delivery is
having a day he'd rather forget.
He's continuing a site inspection of
Dubai World Central, that will be serving
as a back up airport when the
runways of Dubai International
are closed for 80 days for resurfacing.
The site needs to be ready in four days.
So far that seems a long way off.
He's just arrived at what will be the passenger
terminal if there are more flights than
Dubai International can handle.
JUMAH: Why are we
keeping this space?
MAN: This is emergency exit.
JUMAH: Emergency exit.
NARRATOR: If all goes well, this
building will never need to be used, but
Jumah needs to make sure
it's perfect, just in case.
MAN: It's a gate
JUMAH: So we're going to have
some sign on it?
MAN: Yes.
JUMAH: They will
has to push it.
MAN: Signage coming
from Emirates.
JUMAH (off-screen):
Are you sure?
NARRATOR: In the 700,000
square foot arrival hall,
Jumah still wants work to be done.
JUMAH:
Is it tested?
MAN (off-screen): Tested, yeah.
JUMAH: Can we have one
last just floor mopping?
MAN (off-screen): Yeah,
yeah, the cleaning will
JUMAH: We need to
have it just before.
MAN: Shortly before.
JUMAH: They requested
for more offices.
MAN: We need eight
power points.
JUMAH: This is Emirates.
NARRATOR: Every little detail
needs to be addressed before
Jumah is ready to hand it over.
JUMAH: I think
we're ready guys.
MAN: Yes.
JUMAH: I'm really, you know,
delighted, I'm very happy.
NARRATOR: But there is still one more critical
inspection to come, and the whole project
hinges on the site being up
to Jumah's high standards.
At Terminal 2 customs officer Hassan and
his team are about to scan the bags of a
passenger arriving from
Tajikistan, who raised their suspicions
in the baggage reclaim area.
They're concerned that he has no onbound flight
booked, and that he claims the bag checked
in by him is not his bag.
Dubai has strict laws about the importing
of certain goods, and for illegal drugs,
some of the severest
penalties in the world.
The maximum penalty for
drug smuggling is death.
HASSAN: In a normal bag,
shouldn't be any greens here.
NARRATOR: In Hassan's experience
the solid areas of green reveal secret
compartments within the
linings of the cases.
HASSAN: And also this
bag, it's obvious more here, the suitcase.
HASSAN (off-screen): The normal
bags should be like on the left side,
without any density in it.
But here you can see
there's a density here.
So it's obvious there's
something inside the bag.
NARRATOR: Knowing there is something being
deliberately concealed, the team starts to
take the bags apart.
MAN: When I searched these bags I
found some, some I feel the weight that
it's not a normal weight.
So I try to move it a bit, I found out
there is something un-normal on the bag.
HASSAN (off-screen): This
is the normal bag, but when you unwrap it,
inside we found another piece also.
Nobody will hide some
legal things in this way.
Here it have a smell of heroin.
HASSAN (off-screen): The drugs
here they have many, many tricks.
Like one of the tricks is just keep it in the
bottom of the bags, and also they're using
the human being also as a
carrier inside their stomachs.
He planned to just carry
the drugs and drop it here.
NARRATOR: If these slabs are
indeed heroin, it will have
severe consequences for the passenger.
HASSAN: We're using the detector machine
with the sticks to take a swab from it
and put it in the detector
machine to give us the result
of what we found with the passenger.
Now we'll put the swab in the
detector machine, and wait for the result.
HASSAN (off-screen): As you can see that
give us a red alarm, that means drugs.
It means heroin.
I was positive that this is drugs and
positive that it is heroin from the smell.
NARRATOR: It's a big find
for Hassan and his team.
HASSAN: I guess it is around 14 kg, kilogram,
and I believe it is worth on the market
above the three million US dollar.
NARRATOR: These are grave allegations,
and the passenger could face a long prison
sentence or possibly the death penalty.
HASSAN: I feel angry because he's trying
to like enter drugs in my country and
destroy the society.
HASSAN (off-screen): And now
the drug section, they are arrived now.
They will take away the passenger,
and I think that will be the last time the
passenger will see his
freedom for a while.
NARRATOR: Jumah Al-Mazrooie has four days
until Dubai World Central has to be ready
to receive flights from Dubai International
as they start their massive program of
runway resurfacing.
He's already inspected the cargo
stands, and the passenger terminals here.
But he's now at the main warehouse for
Emirates cargo, and this also has to be ready.
JUMAH: It's a big challenge.
The whole construction here started late.
But we have no
excuses anymore, and they have no excuses.
We finish, they have to finish.
They have their own contractor and consultant
from Emirates, and we have to support them.
We're all here as one team of aviation.
Alright let's go.
NARRATOR: But outside
it doesn't look like it will be ready.
JUMAH: Are they
going to inspect the fire hydrant outside?
That is very important
in case of any fire during the operation.
Huge amount of cargo is in there.
MAN: I know.
MAN: This system has been inspected by our
references and it will be commissioned.
JUMAH (off-screen): Okay.
I don't see that but
NARRATOR: And inside
doesn't look any better.
JUMAH: This area should be
all cleared from storage.
Clean it up.
NARRATOR: The construction has
been the responsibility of project manager
Mr. Herrick Lai, who is now
getting the full Jumah treatment.
JUMAH: Fire is coming for inspection,
where is the smoke extraction?
NARRATOR: Without adequate smoke extraction,
the hall won't be a viable operation,
and once again Jumah
is finding problems at almost every turn.
JUMAH: What makes me more
nervous is that if I ask questions
and I don't get proper answer.
NARRATOR: With Emirates reputation on the
line as one of the world's leading cargo
handlers, Jumah cannot
allow the project to fail.
He has an issue with the sand
and dust in the cargo hall.
There's no hiding when
Jumah's on the warpath.
JUMAH: Now the way these guys are doing
it it's they're just throwing up dust.
It's useless.
It's pointless, it's just wasting of time,
and the dust is just moving from one area
to another.
HENRYCK: Compared to a few
days ago this is cleaned up already.
When was the last time you were on site?
JUMAH: Two months ago.
Same thing, no big difference.
NARRATOR: Jumah wants
perfection, today.
JUMAH: These things
have been delivered
NARRATOR: One area
that absolutely has to be ready is the
temperature controlled storage.
JUMAH: So I would expect this
room to be the best area for you right?
NARRATOR: It needs to be.
With the average daily
temperature here in the Dubai summer
a scorching 105 degrees.
Jumah cannot afford for
this not to be ready.
JUMAH: This is the
good area we're having for operation huh?
HENRYCK: You see there's cleaning,
some sort of cleaning happening up there.
NARRATOR: And just when Jumah thinks it can't
get any worse, he spots an issue with the
emergency exit signs.
JUMAH: Seriously, and
I don't know looking at the whole area.
This guy is pointing this way.
JUMAH (off-screen): So if
you want to run this way,
where do you think you're going to end up?
If this guy is pointing this way where
do you think he's supposed to go?
So what do we do, we kill people in here?
No we need them to go, that is
the escape route, you see Sanjay?
MAN (off-screen): Yeah.
NARRATOR: So the
pressure is on for Jumah.
He has only four days
until the site has to be operational.
HENRYCK: We are all learning from him, we're
asking him to help us, to come in and give
us advice.
So this is exactly what he has done,
maybe a bit harsh, but it's a reality.
NARRATOR: But Jumah's
day isn't over.
He's been assured the CCTV
system is fully functioning.
But then he gets a call
from the police chief.
JUMAH: It's not working?
Okay so somebody told
me false information.
Okay do you have enough
space in your jail?
I can, I can put somebody in it yeah?
Okay that's what I need to do.
I don't like people to lie
to me. Alright bye, bye, bye.
MEL: Are they eggs?
Those are eggs right?
NARRATOR: Dubai police
confiscated the animals but,
allowed the passengers
to continue their journey to Kuwait.
The case of the alleged
heroin smuggler is ongoing.
All the facilities at Dubai
World Central opened on time.
Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.