Ultimate Airport Dubai
Less than 55 years ago, Dubai International Airport was a vast desert of sand. Today, it is a modern mecca of international air travel. With a staggering 344,000 flights, 57 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo flying in and out each year, it is the worlds third busiest airport for international passengers. In Ultimate Airport Dubai, step behind-the-scenes of Dubai Internationals three massive terminals, including Terminal 3 the largest building on earth by floor space, measuring 359 football pitches in size! With unprecedented access to all facets of this mega facility, the series follows some of the 60,000 staff working hard to keep it safe, secure, and on schedule.
Workers in the signal tower hear news that an A380 with a faulty engine will be making an emergency landing on one of the runways, while a passenger travelling to Kuwait is found to have a suitcase full of snakes
Firefighters rush to the aid of a Boeing 777 full of passengers, while a man loses his son in the airport terminal
Customs officers uncover what could be their biggest drugs haul in 10 years, and an engineer races against the clock when a fault is found on a plane two hours before take-off
Staff members come under increased stress when an emergency landing threatens to shut down the airport. At customs, officers uncover a significant amount of crystal meth
Faulty planes, awkward cargo and missing passengers cause havoc for staff working the night shift at Dubai International, when up to 34 planes can land every hour
A fault on an incoming plane threatens to close the airport. Meanwhile, another technical hitch threatens to make Cat Stevens miss his induction into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame
Staff confront a passenger travelling on a fake passport. Meanwhile, six years after its purchase, the first Emirates Airlines Airbus receives a thorough maintenance check.
Customs officers discover $135,000 worth of cocaine hidden among a passenger's shirts, while things go wrong when staff test out a spare parking space for a plane.
Customs are suspicious of a man carrying uncut diamonds in his luggage and a cargo of racehorses from France poses a logistical challenge.
A passenger jet comes into the Aircraft Appearance Centre to get a makeover. The airport’s double runway overhaul is unveiled.
The new concourse is trialed to test if it's on schedule to receive 15 million passengers and 33 of the mighty 389-million-dollar Airbus A380s.
The construction team behind the new concourse feel the heat as more than 200 volunteers test whether it's ready to be used by the public.
The pressure is on as engines, cargo and construction materials all go missing - pushing an airport already near-capacity to breaking point.
Customs find crystal meth in the luggage of a passenger from Ghana and a pigeon delays an Emirates flight at Manchester.
The Airport Services Manager deals with passengers getting connections to Australia. They must depart on time, or the flights cannot land.
Duty Manager Khalil has to help a family stranded in the terminal, while Controller Nargis must free a cargo of meat stuck in the desert heat.
David Robson must greet some temperamental VIP passengers and Dispatcher Nizel has a problem when a brand-new A380 goes missing.
Passenger Operations has to cope with a group of stranded tourists, and a missing passenger puts a curfew-critical flight to Sydney in jeopardy.
Although Dubai International tries to prepare for every scenario, more than one million passengers each week inevitably bring unusual challenges.
Missing passengers threaten to seriously delay a flight to Perth. Meanwhile, there are headaches for engineers when a $208million jet refuses to start
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Release | 2013-09-05 |
| Producer | National Geographic |