Ultimate Airport Dubai (2013) s02e04 Episode Script

1
NARRATOR: In this
episode, Customs find a secret compartment
in a passenger's luggage.
HASSAN: It is suspicious,
100% suspicious.
NARRATOR: Missing cargo
gives everyone the runaround.
CARL: Robin, get
them on the front.
I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill him.
NARRATOR: And it's judgment day, as Dubai's
billion dollar runway closure begins.
STEVE: No, no, it's fine.
What you doing? What you doing?
What you doing?
Leave it! Leave it!
No, no, no, we're
not building the Burj Khalifa here!
Back, back, back, back, back!
NARRATOR: Dubai International
Airport, the busiest
global hub on the planet,
and aiming to stay there.
PILOT: Clear for take-off.
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?
HASSAN: Oh sorry.
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, hey!
Up!
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.
Dubai International Airport is
a huge money-making machine.
Every year, aviation
contributes $22 billion to the economy.
As one of the busiest airports in the world,
any interruption to its schedule costs money.
Emirates Airline has the largest
fleet of A380s and 777s in the world.
Keeping them running perfectly is vital.
ANDY: What I'm basically doing at the
moment is just, like, what we call a GVI,
which is a, a general visual inspection of
anything you can see and miss on the ground.
So, I'm checking the wheels for
condition, the strut, any oil leaks.
NARRATOR: If Andy Tetley finds a
problem when a plane's on the ramp,
he fixes it there and then, ideally.
Taking a plane out of service
is costly, it's not earning.
ANDY: We've actually just got a
task on one of our triple seven 300 ERs,
and it's come in with
a left-hand engine anti-ice valve,
which has been locked open.
NARRATOR: Anti-ice valves prevent
ice from falling around the engines.
The freezing temperatures of high altitude
can fall to minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
ANDY: This is the nacelle.
This is the leading edge.
So, you've got hot air, which is
bled from the engine, will heat up this
whole ring on the front,
to stop any ice forming.
Cause what you don't want
is thick ice to form here,
and then in flight it
can actually break off.
Ice is very heavy, and what we don't want
it to do is to go and cause any damage
to the blades, or even ingest
it into the engine.
NARRATOR: Andy needs to get the value replaced
before the plane leaves in five hours.
ANDY: The value itself
is only quite small.
It's in an awkward
position; it's right on top of the engine.
NARRATOR: Andy needs
to start but he can't.
The jet fuel in the engine can
reach up to 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
ANDY: The whole
engine is very hot.
So, you have to be,
everything's hot to touch.
So, we know we have to wait
a little while for it to cool down.
NARRATOR: While it cools, Andy checks
with the Captain for any other problems.
CAPTAIN: The right window the
heat, window heat's not working.
ANDY: OK.
Well the windshield heating has failed.
So, I'll have to have a look at that.
That is, that's an item
that we wasn't expecting.
NARRATOR: Unexpected
and potentially troublesome for Andy.
Heating protects the windshield
when the plane is flying at altitude.
ANDY: Because it's very cold outside,
if we was, to say, have a bird strike
and this was ice cold, it's
actually extremely brittle.
And if, if you have a bird strike,
the worst thing that would happen,
it would just shatter.
Whereas if we have the
windshield heated up it
becomes slightly more flexible.
It you have a s, a bird strike it will
just cause it to flex, rather than shatter.
NARRATOR: The onboard
computer system logs faults.
Now it's showing a problem with the
other side of the windshield, as well.
ANDY: Now it's a bit more of an issue
because we've got a, we've got the left
and the right-hand side
which have got faults.
NARRATOR: This could impact
the whole Emirates schedule.
The aircraft can fly safely
with a fault on one side.
With both sides damaged it's risky, not
something Emirates will want to chance.
But it's not a simple fix.
The whole windshield needs to be replaced.
When and where it's repaired is a decision
for Emirates Network Control Center.
They must decide
whether to fix the windshield on the stand
or to take the plane out of service.
ANDY: We've been in
contact with the office.
At the moment it's a 50/50 chance
whether the aircraft will go or not.
We're expecting a call.
It is now ten past ten.
The aircraft goes at 14:40.
NARRATOR: Network control
has to decide quickly.
The aircraft is due to fly to
Johannesburg in four and a half hours.
For 365 days a year,
Dubai's two runways are continuously
hammered by aircraft
weighing up to 425 tons.
Now the airport must make
urgent and expensive repairs,
which will reduce its capacity.
It's 9 AM, day one of the billion
dollar, 80-day rehabilitation project.
Each of the runways
will be closed and refurbished in turn.
The southern runway first.
Air Traffic Control is buzzing
at this momentous occasion.
PHIL: It's quite
an historic moment.
We're about five minutes
away from the last arrival.
We'll be on time.
PAUL: I must have a look
at that A380, there.
NARRATOR: For CEO, Paul Griffiths,
it's short-term pain for long-term gain.
PAUL: It might seem a huge,
billion dollar investment, but clearly,
if we can keep putting 60, 70, 80, and
ultimately 100 million passengers through a year,
we're gonna get that money back.
NARRATOR: Operating with
only one runway will slash Dubai Airport's
capacity by over a quarter.
Meaning a loss of $272 million in revenue.
But that will only grow
if they don't hit their completion target.
CHRIS: The plan is, you
look around 11:00, isn't it?
Because we need to get
the guys on to start work.
NARRATOR: For Senior Vice President
of Airside Operations, Chris Garton,
the project must finish on time.
CHRIS: It's the next
80 days that's critical.
And it has to be 80, not 81.
MAN: Yes, exactly!
CHRIS: So that's the challenge.
Let's go and see that last arrival.
NARRATOR: The last flight
descends from the sky.
Watched by an army of construction
workers, poised to spring into action.
5,000 are set to work around the clock in
shifts, at the hottest time of the year.
STEVE: It is brutal in summer.
You're gonna be talking
about 40, 45 degrees,
so it's gonna be pretty hectic in the day.
And in the night it's up to, like, 80, 90%
humidity so, it's really tough going in the
summer, really tough.
NARRATOR: Total closure is
the only option for Dubai.
CHRIS: Most airports have a closure from
about midnight to 6:00 in the morning,
and you can actually rebuild a runway through
the night, just taking a section at a time.
For us in Dubai, midnight to 3 AM is our
busiest time, so we can't just do that.
OK, there she goes.
And touch down!
PHIL: That's our last arrival.
Construction crew's ready.
PAUL: Yeah.
PHIL: Getting ready to go.
NARRATOR: On the Air
Traffic Control screens,
the southern runway turns red,
a no-go zone for aircraft.
For the next 80 days, the airport
will only have one runway in operation,
at any one time.
CHRIS: Alright guys,
we better get going.
MAN: Yep, gotta get to work now.
CHRIS: We've got 80 days, so good luck.
MAN: Thank you.
NARRATOR: Works manager,
Steve Penglase, has to secure the runway.
STEVE: Ah, no timber
under this on, huh?
NARRATOR: He must seal off the taxi ways,
the entrances and exits to the runway,
so that the billion dollar refurbishment
can start safely in two hours' time.
STEVE: OK, this one
should be this side.
Wrong way, huh?
(speaking native language)
NARRATOR: Already things
aren't off to a good start.
STEVE: OK, so we're blocking the
taxiway from planes coming this way,
everything should have a slope
facing that way, as well.
So, we've just gotta turn this one round.
It'll all work.
What could go wrong?
What you doing?
What you doing? What you doing?
Leave it!
Leave it!
(speaking native language)
Finish this.
No, we're not, no, no, no, no, we're
not building the Burj Khalifa, here!
Back, back, back, back, back.
Right, and let's just get it closed.
We'll worry about
straightening them afterwards.
NARRATOR: Just minutes
after closing the runway,
ATC face their first test.
A plane is approaching, too heavy to land.
With just one runway, any emergency
could close the whole airport.
NARRATOR: Take-off and landing
are the most dangerous parts of a flight.
An Emirates plane, on its final
approach, has to abort its landing.
PHIL: The plane's literally just done a
go, go-around, heading out over the water.
NARRATOR: The plane, carrying up to
340 passengers, is carrying too much fuel
and must fly out to sea to dump
it, before attempting to land.
PHIL: In this case, the Emirates flight
coming in was expecting some delays,
because of the runway closure,
so they had put extra fuel on.
As the aircraft's getting
to about 1500 feet,
the pilot's seen that
they're actually too heavy.
So, they're gonna go around,
dump some fuel,
and try another approach
in a couple of minutes.
NARRATOR: The extra weight
would have made it hard to land safely.
Any trouble on Dubai's only operational
runway could close the whole airport.
PHIL: Everybody's quite aware that it's the
first day we're on single runway operations,
so it's a little bit of a stressful
situation for some of the people here.
PAUL: We've taken the world's largest
international airport, that's under quite a lot of
capacity pressure, with two runways,
and we've taken away half that capacity
and said, "Manage!"
So, it's a big undertaking.
NARRATOR: In an emergency,
ATC can divert aircraft to the
new Al Maktoum International
Airport, 30 miles away.
But that would be inconvenient for
transit passengers and the airline.
It takes 50 minutes for the
plane to dump several tons of fuel,
costing thousands of dollars,
and come back in to land.
PHIL: First bit of drama,
we handled it really well.
So, if all our other bits of drama
are just as bad, we'll be fine.
NARRATOR: Dubai is an
important business hub.
The airport plays a crucial role,
with flights from six continents.
Customs watch some of
these flights very closely.
HASSAN: I'm looking for individual
and also I'm looking for flights.
So, I'm looking at the flights coming
from where, and who's on this flight.
NARRATOR: Duty Officer, Hassan Ibrahim,
is watching passengers arriving from
Africa, checking for suspicious signs.
HASSAN: The body language we are looking
for sometimes like you can see a passenger,
like, he is not eye
contacting with you directly.
He trying to, like, to hide something.
So, when you looking at him,
he, like, turn his eyes.
Or sometimes, he's coming, you feel
it's, he's sweating more than the usual.
Here it's cold area.
So, she shouldn't be, like, sweating.
NARRATOR: The flight has
come from Accra in Ghana.
One passenger is taken
aside for a baggage scan.
(speaking native language)
WOMAN: This here, OK.
And things thick, here.
NARRATOR: The scan shows something
concealed in the bottom of the suitcase.
WOMAN: Excuse me, ma'am.
Can you check in the bags, please?
Come here, please.
You have anything for declare inside?
WOMAN 2: No.
WOMAN: Sure? No have
any to declare inside?
WOMAN 2: Only shoes and a dress.
WOMAN: OK.
NARRATOR: She's had a
chance to come clean.
WOMAN: Thick inside.
HASSAN: Excuse me, ma'am, what
do you have inside your bag here?
WOMAN 2: I don't know.
HASSAN: You don't know?
WOMAN 2: Yeah.
WOMAN: Sure?
HASSAN: OK, ma'am, we need
to check it at our office.
We want to check your bag.
Come with us.
NARRATOR: The manual search
only confirms that there's
something unusual about this suitcase.
HASSAN: You are
coming from where?
WOMAN 2: Ghana, Accra.
HASSAN: Ghana, Accra.
How long are you staying here?
WOMAN 2: Ten days.
HASSAN: Ten days.
And what the reason for the visit?
WOMAN 2: I will buy something.
HASSAN: You're buying something.
So, you are a businesswoman?
WOMAN 2: I am a trader.
HASSAN: You are trader.
So, this is first time
you are visiting Dubai?
WOMAN 2: Yeah.
HASSAN: Uh-hmm.
I believe this bag belongs
to you, it's your bag.
WOMAN 2: It's my bag.
HASSAN: Yeah. From Ghana
to Dubai it's your bag.
So, you know what this contain?
WOMAN 2: No.
HASSAN: Because we suspect
that, in the bottom, there's,
you hide, you're hiding something.
WOMAN 2: I don't know.
HASSAN: You don't know?
So, for that reason we're
gonna need your permission
to open your bag and to
see what you have, what's inside your bag.
You're OK with that?
You don't know what's inside it, exactly.
Heavy here, and different
voice from the other side.
That side was lighter, the
voice, when you hit it.
NARRATOR: The different sounds suggest
there's a hollow compartment inside the case.
HASSAN: Maybe she hiding
something illegal inside.
So, we have to open it now,
to make sure what's inside.
NARRATOR: Dubai has
zero-tolerance for any kind of drugs.
The penalty can include death.
HASSAN: Also, there's.
WOMAN: Yeah.
HASSAN: You can, you
conceal the groove.
Well, when you open the bag,
right, right away, you can smell it.
NARRATOR: The strong smell of
glue suggests the panel has only been
stuck down recently, to
create a secret compartment.
NARRATOR: For Customs, there's
rarely a good reason for a
secret compartment in a
passenger's luggage.
HASSAN: What this?
WOMAN 2: I don't know.
HASSAN: Please,
can you see it?
You know what this?
You have any idea?
WOMAN 2: No.
HASSAN: How it's
came in your bag?
WOMAN 2: I don't know.
HASSAN: Or somebody maybe
put it, your things, inside your bag?
WOMAN 2: No.
HASSAN: It was done by
you, by yourself, yeah? WOMAN: Yeah.
HASSAN: It is suspicious,
100% suspicious.
I will open it, to make
sure what's contains.
Just will take a sample from it.
I believe it is a Seresta.
It's a type of drugs.
We have to take it to the,
the drug detector machine.
That will give us more positives.
NARRATOR: Customs has a mobile
drug testing machine,
which can instantly analysis the crystals.
HASSAN: That mean
it is positive.
And it show the percentage.
Methamp, 72%.
And HMTD, 3%.
NARRATOR: The results
show that the substance is crystal meth,
a synthetic, illegal drug.
HASSAN: Two point one kg.
That is not personal use, that is a lot.
And I believe it is in the street market,
it, the value, it will be like US $500,000.
We have taken the sample from the wrapping
that was in your bag, and put it in
a drugs, drug detector.
And it give us positive.
WOMAN 2: It's a drug?
HASSAN: Yeah, it is drug.
We suspect it is a, a crystal.
I don't think that she is
the, the dealer, or something.
Just she is, like, delivery.
Just like a delivery boy.
But I am 100% that she know
what it was in her bag.
NARRATOR: The passenger is
taken away by the Drugs Section,
for further investigation.
She's in custody, awaiting trial.
The minimum sentence
for drug smuggling in Dubai is four years.
2.6 million tons of cargo pass through
Dubai airport every year, a big earner.
In a highly competitive world, Emirates
cargo flights alone generate $3.1 billion,
almost a sixth of its total revenue.
CARL: Calling Sky
Cargo, Sky Cargo.
NARRATOR: To stay competitive, the right
cargo has to get away at the right time,
that's Carl's job.
CARL: Departure is in one
hour and 35 minutes from now.
I estimate today the loading will take
round about one hour five, to one hour ten.
NARRATOR: 91 tons of cargo is on
numbered palettes, which have to be loaded
onto this triple seven,
in the right order.
CARL: Yo, what? What's wrong?
Two two? Robin!
ROBIN: It's OK.
We'll off-load.
CARL: It's the wrong unit,
they've missed a pallet, see?
NARRATOR: Every flight has a precise loading
plan to keep weight evenly distributed.
It's vital the right pallets
are loaded at the right time,
or it can affect the plane in flight.
CARL: The operator has realized that the
wrong pallet has been loaded first of all.
He's looking at his load plan,
and that's not the pallet
he's supposed to have on that position.
So, we're gonna just quickly
take it off and change it.
Hey!
Just wait, keep it there, keep it there.
NARRATOR: The cargo hold is
divided into slots for the pallets,
each with a specific height
and weight specification.
CARL: Go ahead, Robin.
Right, you're missing units
here, which, how many? How many?
Which number, which numbers?
ROBIN: So, this is the
only piece left, right?
CARL: Two.
ROBIN: Two pieces left? CARL: Two.
ROBIN: So, one is missing,
and one is available still, right?
CARL: No, two are missing.
ROBIN: One missing.
CARL: Two are missing.
Ajid, I have to make a couple of,
I'm gonna have to make a change.
The unit on 23 Papa is not located.
11 will go to 23.
I got the information quite late, so
we have to change the loading around.
Yo, whoa!
NARRATOR: It takes a special skill
to manage a team when the situation
is changing by the minute.
Carl has two pieces of cargo missing.
If he waits, he will lose time.
Instead, he's going to change the plan.
He'll move some cargo further back, to free
up space at the front for the missing pallets,
if they turn up.
CARL: 11 goes to 23.
That one goes to 23.
ROBIN: 11?
CARL: 11 goes to 23,
that's the only change.
NARRATOR: The pallet Carl wants
to move is already on the aircraft.
Now he has to unload
it to move it, using up loading time.
And there's a complication.
CARL: I hadn't actually noticed that the
unit I was changing is for Copenhagen,
so it has to be near the door.
NARRATOR: The aircraft
is carrying cargo for two destinations.
CARL: It's, first of all,
this is going to Copenhagen,
and then onwards thereafter to Chicago.
The rest here stays the same, OK?
NARRATOR: Carl needs to
stay on top of the changes.
He has to switch cargo round, and
make sure his team knows what to do.
CARL: Right.
11! 11!
Goes to 23.
What's happening is, now we're down
to less than one hour before departure.
But I just need
to go and speak with the Sky Cargo staff.
NARRATOR: Carl has freed up space in the
hold, but the two pallets are still missing.
CARL: Which unit, which is it?
ROBIN: I'm saying 70279.
CARL: 279.
MAN: All units are here, man.
Please check the units properly.
CARL: The Sky Cargo
staff is telling us all the cargo is here.
My loading team leader is
telling me that cargo is missing.
So, they're going together,
we're going to go check.
NARRATOR: Confusion on
the ramp is inefficient.
And late delivery is not a
winning business strategy.
CARL: Robin, have
you looked in here?
Have you looked in here?
NARRATOR: With 45 minutes
left, Carl must find the missing cargo.
CARL: It's here.
ASHOK: Just leave it,
leave it, just CARL: Yeah? 70279.
Yeah, that's affirmed,
that's affirmative, yeah.
Well we've established now that
we do in fact have all the cargo here.
So, the loading changes I made
were actually not necessary.
NARRATOR: Missing cargo found.
Carl still has to get it all loaded,
and the flight away, on time.
NARRATOR: Back on the southern
runway, all entry points have
now been safely blocked.
The race is on to start,
and finish, the work.
A huge army of workers
waits for the signal.
CHRIS: You got the flag!
NARRATOR: At the height of works,
1200 vehicles a day will enter the site.
CHRIS: That's as many lorries on the
runway as we'd normally get airplanes
in a normal operating day.
MAN: Just changing
wings for wheels.
CHRIS: Yeah, we're running
a car park, not an airport. MAN: Yeah.
NARRATOR: 880,000 tons
of aggregates,
620 miles of cabling
and five miles of drainage piping
will be delivered to create
Dubai's runways of the future.
All on a construction site
next to a busy live runway.
Vice President of Airfield Construction,
Yousuf Pirzada, is hyper-aware of safety.
YOUSUF: We don't have too much
distance between the two runways,
so we have to be very careful.
NARRATOR: It could
be dangerous for people, and planes.
PAUL: Millions of dollars of precisely
engineered aircraft engine can be destroyed by a
small bolt or a nut that's just left,
whipped up in the vortex of the airplane.
It's a major safety issue and we
drill it into every single employee.
NARRATOR: Works Manager, Steve
Penglase, leads the charge of vehicles.
STEVE: It's quite fun, really.
You've gotta admit, like, closing
a runway is pretty spectacular.
NARRATOR: He must organize hundreds
of vehicles and thousands of workers
into a smooth operating construction team.
STEVE: However, timber.
MAN: I am work, I am
moving timber.
STEVE: As you can see,
it's all going swimmingly.
NARRATOR: Several trucks
have already gone AWOL.
STEVE: It was fairly
set out quite well.
We got everybody over here, and the
idea was that they went out one at a time,
each team to their areas.
It was supposed to be quite smooth.
Now, as you can see,
it's not quite so smooth.
But we'll get it going.
NARRATOR: When everything
is back on track, the diggers move in.
YOUSUF: Within a few hours of runway closure
we have been able to start excavation.
We have to keep the same momentum
in order to achieve all the targets.
My biggest nightmare is that we
are not able to finish work on time,
because the impact of that
is huge for the airport.
NARRATOR: Right now, they're on target,
but there's still a long way to go.
On the 20th of July, planes are scheduled
to depart from the refurbished runways,
just 15 minutes after the
80-day completion deadline.
Line Maintenance Engineer Andy Tetley,
is waiting to hear whether to replace the
windshield of a 777, scheduled to fly
to Johannesburg in less than four hours.
A member of his team
is also fixing the faulty anti-ice value.
ANDY: OK George, how's things?
All good, man?
GEORGE: All good.
We have put the seals in.
The line's connected.
We have the top clamp tightened.
GEORGE: Just tightening
the bottom clamp.
ANDY: Perfect! Good,
yeah, very good.
This is the engine anti-ice valve.
This is the one that's failed.
NARRATOR: It's one of 25,000
parts in an engine, each piece designed
so that they can be easily replaced.
MAN: Heat normal.
NARRATOR: The only way
to test the new valve is
to fire up the engine.
ANDY: Emirates Bravo Kilo
on stand Alpha Five, request permission
to carry out engine idle run, please.
This test will take
probably two to three minutes to complete.
And once the test is
complete it'll come up as passed or fail.
The thing what we're looking for is
this area here to be completely clear
of any messages whatsoever.
If the messages have gone
that means there's no problem.
OK, yeah, that's passed OK.
I'm gonna shut the number one engine down.
Everything OK down there?
NARRATOR: First
problem solved.
Andy still needs to know whether
he needs to fix the faulty windshield.
GEORGE: Andy.
The aircraft is not going to Johannesburg.
ANDY: Oh, OK. Alright.
GEORGE: They want to make
the right windshield swap.
ANDY: OK, yeah.
They've decided to actually
have the aircraft grounded.
We're gonna go ahead with the
replacement of the windshield.
NARRATOR: Andy's
shift is finished.
The tricky job will fall to a new team.
The old windshield has to be completely
removed, and a brand new one put in.
As the team begins to free the
windscreen, they face a new challenge.
ZO: I think it's gonna rain.
I mean, it's been windy all
day, but I think the clouds
have come in and I
can feel some, you know,
a bit of drops here
and there so, I think we're gonna get it.
NARRATOR: It's unfortunate that
today is one of only seven days a year
when it rains in Dubai.
ZO: Careful, carefully, yeah.
NARRATOR: The race is
on to get the windshield out and replaced,
before the rain comes down.
ZO: Slowly, slowly, guys.
NARRATOR: Exposing
the avionics of a $300 million
aircraft to the elements
could be disastrous.
NARRATOR: Carl is loading the flight
bound for Copenhagen and Chicago.
The cargo includes some temperature-sensitive
pharmaceuticals which can't
wait long in the heat.
CARL: Hello Captain.
Hi, afternoon.
CAPTAIN: Nice day for it.
CARL: Yeah, it's lovely.
Only thing we have for you today is
pharmaceuticals and consolidated cargo.
We're looking for departure
in 35 minutes, gents. Yeah?
CAPTAIN: That's
good, we'll be ready.
CARL: So, I'll come back and
give you a status update
in about 20, alright?
CAPTAIN: OK.
NARRATOR: 35 minutes to go, and
the loading appears to be back on track.
CARL: Jacob, Robin tells me
that one of the pallets is not located.
You said it was all here for this flight.
NARRATOR: There's
been a mistake.
Pallet 73258 is still missing!
CARL: It's, it's here!
It's OK, disregard.
More misinformation, Jacob.
I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill him.
He's telling me unit's not here
and it's, I've just found it there,
sitting there in that unit.
Misinformation again!
Buddy, can you get me
a second high loader at code one nine,
to finish the loading please?
We're getting behind schedule.
NARRATOR: The confusion
over the missing cargo has cost Carl time.
CARL: I've, I've asked for another high
loader to come, so we can put it on the front
now, to try and recover the time, because
right now we've got about 11 units to load
still, and it's 20 minutes to pushback.
And we need to get the
doors closed up by one five.
Robin, get them on the front!
Don't have them sitting
with a unit on idle, please!
This is what we don't want, is where
our transporter is sitting with a unit on,
not actually doing anything.
NARRATOR: With up to 15
people under his command,
and not all of them
speaking the same language,
Carl has his work cut out to make
sure the team works together smoothly.
CARL: And this guy's really, really
making life very difficult for everybody.
NARRATOR: Any delay could be trouble
for the temperature-sensitive cargo.
CARL: Wait a minute,
wait a minute! What's he doing?
NARRATOR: If the plane is
stuck on the tarmac, where the temperature
is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit,
it's air-conditioning
system won't be enough to keep the
pharmaceutical cargo cool.
JACOB: Why have you put the
high loader on the front?
CARL: I did, yeah, because we un, we've
still got two units to load in the front.
JACOB: Oh, OK.
CARL: Cause they, one of the two
units was the one that was missing,
that wasn't missing!
So, I said, rather
than wait we'll start loading in the aft,
and we can put the high loader
on the front when it comes.
But the unit was here, but then
the position of the unit was there.
JACOB: I hope we are
going to make it.
CARL: Yeah, I do.
Right now, we've got
11 minutes to departure
and we've still got another
seven units to load.
We'll see if we can get
the doors closed up on time,
it's gonna be very tight now, though.
Highly unlikely we're gonna make it.
Working really against the clock now.
NARRATOR: It normally
takes ten to 15 minutes to load a pallet.
CARL: What you doing?
NARRATOR: But Carl has called in
extra help to speed up the process.
CARL: Just closing
the holds, gents.
We're just closing everything now, OK?
Thanks very much.
Steps, steps, steps! Yep!
NARRATOR: Against the odds, Carl
delivers his part of the cargo operation,
with two minutes to spare.
CARL: Little bit relieved,
it was a bit stressful.
We don't wanna be
unnecessarily delaying these flights.
Right now, I feel I've
done a good job on that.
I've managed to get the
aircraft doors closed on time.
So, yeah, I'm pretty satisfied
with the corrected action we took.
NARRATOR: Dubai connects 260
destinations around the world.
Over three quarters of
passengers flying to Dubai
are en-route to one of those destinations.
It's vital for Dubai's business model
that they make their connections.
Keeping passengers on-track is
also a challenge for
Emirates Airport Services
Manager, Mel Sabharwal.
MEL: Let's go to
Bravo at six one four.
NARRATOR: Tonight, she's concerned
about a delayed flight and wants to know
whether it's on its final
approach to the airport.
MEL: Calling PMU.
Any news on EK22, is it on short finals?
MAN (over radio): It will be on
short finals in the next 2 minutes.
MEL: OK, copy, thank you.
NARRATOR: The incoming passengers on the
delayed EK22 are in danger of missing their
onward flights, because they won't have enough
time to make the connection unless Mel can
do something to help them.
MEL: Today we're gonna
concentrate on three flights.
Different destinations, one going to Kuala
Lumpur, one going to Perth and the other
one going to Islamabad.
NARRATOR: When EK22 from Manchester, lands,
Mel needs to speed 79 passengers through
the largest air terminal in the world,
to three separate connecting flights.
MEL: OK.
MAN: We've got about
25 minutes delay.
MEL: The Manchester flight was actually
delayed because we had a slight issue with
a pigeon in the wheel wing.
NARRATOR: A rogue pigeon, 3,500
miles from Dubai, is disrupting one
of the biggest airlines in the world.
Mel needs to buy time.
She wants to hold the three flights which
are waiting for the delayed passengers.
MEL: Just gonna speak to Saneel in
Hub Control, and see the exact time that
we've got for this aircraft to be delayed.
NARRATOR: The Hub is the
Network Control Center.
They have a complete overview of the Emirates
fleet, and they're the only people who
can authorize delays
for Mel's three flights.
MEL: Hi Saneel, it's Mel.
MEL (over phone): How long have
we got for these connections?
SANEEL: OK, the six one
four has a 20 minutes delay authorized.
MEL: Alright. And we've got two more
flights, the three four four, as well.
SANEEL: That has a 15
minutes delay authorized.
And you've got a, the four two two, that's
got another 15 minutes delay authorized.
MEL: OK. No problem.
NARRATOR: Network Control
has given Mel more time.
But it's still going to be tight.
MEL: If we don't get those passengers
in contact, and to the gate in time,
we will have to misconnect
those passengers.
NARRATOR: Missed
connections are expensive.
The airline will be liable for new connecting
flights, and possibly accommodation.
A cost they want to avoid.
Now, it's up to Mel to deliver.
NARRATOR: Mel can't even begin
to rush the passengers to
their onward flights until they land.
When the flight from Manchester
finally arrives, she will need to speed 79
passengers through the biggest
airport terminal in the world.
Network Control may be able to help,
they can reallocate the parking stand,
to get EK22 as close
as possible to the new departure gates.
MAN: Just wanted to have
a quick chat about the EK22 connections
and the parking stands.
SANEEL: OK. MAN: I just wanna
confirm that we've got all those,
the inbound aircraft and the
departures are all on the same concourse.
SANEEL: All, all of
these have been planned.
I've just moved EK22
from concourse Alpha to concourse Bravo.
OK? So, we should be able to make
those connections within that time.
NARRATOR: But this
is just a plan.
The plane still hasn't even arrived.
MEL: Traveling to Islamabad?
NARRATOR: Mel puts the whole
Emirates team on stand-by,
for the moment that the
aircraft arrives at the gate.
MEL: Depaak, any
news on the EK22?
DEPAAK (over radio): On
ground, 2101 Bravo 18.
MEL: OK, perfect.
Transfer desk teams, are you ready?
WOMAN (over radio): Ready.
MAN (over radio): Ready.
MEL: The EK22's just landed, so everybody's
in place, let's keep our fingers-crossed.
Are you traveling on this flight, sir?
NARRATOR: It's touch and go whether
a pigeon in Manchester will hold up
dozens of passengers, and give
Emirates an expensive headache.
MEL: OK, six one four
becoming critical, now.
54 passengers missing.
NARRATOR: Mel has
three flights.
She can only deal with one personally.
She has to choose between the Islamabad
flight, with the most missing passengers,
or the Perth flight,
which has to depart first.
MEL: I will need to look
at the EK422 to Perth,
as it is even more critical than this.
We've only got 15 minutes to connect
passengers from the same inbound, EK22.
Ah, Zach?
NARRATOR: It's vital that Mel's team
identify the 26 connecting passengers,
bound for the onward EK422
Perth flight, as quickly as possible.
MEL: Four two two is critical
because we have slot restrictions.
We have to meet that slot otherwise it could
be further delayed, almost up to an hour.
NARRATOR: The departure slot of
the Perth flight cannot be changed.
If they miss their slot, the
plane will be delayed further.
This will then cause delays to
other flights further down the line.
Mel may end up with the worst of both worlds,
passengers who miss their connections and
major disruption to the Emirates network.
She may be accountable.
MEL: If we miss the slot
because of passenger-related activities,
when we've already delayed that departure,
there will be a lot of questions asked.
We'll need to make a decision at
least ten minutes before departure
if those passengers are not there.
Zach, just hold the buggy, we
might need to go on the four two two.
ZACH: They are coming.
MEL: Are they?
ZACH: Yep! MEL: Excellent.
NARRATOR: The passengers for the Islamabad
flight are on their way to the gate.
MEL: It's down there.
It's four two twos.
Zach, Zach, OK, they're on their way.
Let's go to the four
two two. Yeah.
NARRATOR: Happy that the Islamabad
connecting passengers are on their way,
Mel switches to the EK22 Perth
flight, which is now critical,
it's missing 26 passengers.
MEL: Four two two is an absolute priority
now, so I think my attention needs to
be focused on that one, to make
sure we've got all the connections.
NARRATOR: If the Perth flight misses
its departure slot it will be costly
and could damage the
airline's reputation with the passengers.
MEL: OK, I can't see
any passengers here, which is a worry.
NARRATOR: The passengers from the EK22
Manchester flight still aren't at the gate.
MEL: Are they
all four two two?
Excellent. Are you all
inbound from Manchester?
Yes! All inbound
from Manchester.
MAN: We made it!
MEL: Yes, you made it. Was it a rush?
MAN: Yes.
NARRATOR: The delayed Manchester
passengers just make the flight.
But it still won't go.
MEL: We have one other passenger missing,
that was scheduled to be in the lounge.
He's not reported.
Yep. Missing one, yeah?
It's 21:41, right
now, so four minutes.
MAN: Yeah, it's already but one's
not registered in the lounge they said.
MEL: Not registered?
MAN: Yeah. As per, as per the,
the lounge, they said.
MEL: Boarding over.
MAN: OK, she's here.
NARRATOR: The final missing passenger
isn't from the Manchester flight.
But Mel has a schedule to
deliver, she closes the gate.
MEL: Excellent. Well done!
So, 15 minutes.
Actually, no, more.
17 minutes before departure, yeah?
Perfect! Thank you.
You're welcome, sir.
NARRATOR: All three
flights make their new departure times.
It's been tight,
but the airline's schedule is on track.
MEL: Yep, six two two.
NARRATOR: It's 24 hours
after a 777 has been grounded
to replace a faulty windshield.
One of Dubai's rare rainstorms
may have come at the worst moment,
and compromised the repair.
Engineer, Andy, needs to make
sure the sealant has cured,
or the plane won't be safe to fly.
ANDY: There was an incident within
the last 20 years, of an aircraft in,
it was leaving the UK, that the whole front
windshield actually came off in flight,
and it basically blew-out, and
the actual pilot got sucked out.
So, anything to do with these
windows have to be done perfect.
NARRATOR: The flight was operated by another
airline and amazingly the pilot lived.
If the sealant hasn't dried properly
the flight will stay on the ground.
The repair is complete.
The plane is back in service,
ready to earn its keep.
ANDY: Everybody
works together.
Everybody has to try to make
sure that the aircraft will go on time.
But that, that doesn't mean it
will go on time at any cost,
it will go on time,
when everything's perfect.
So, if the aircraft's servicable,
everybody's happy, then it will go.
Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.