Episode 1

Plot:

In the first of four live shows this week, Dan Snow, Dallas Campbell and Anita Rani will be reporting airside at Heathrow, behind-the-scenes at the world’s busiest international hub airport. More than 200,000 passengers travel through Heathrow each day. Everything and everyone is on a deadline. Unprecedented behind-the-scenes access allows us to witness this daily relay race first hand. We’ll see air traffic control in action and explain the extraordinary science and logistics behind every flight. Dan is based at the heart of the airport, the air traffic control tower, giving an eagle’s eye view of the complex choreography of landings, departures and ground movements. Tonight, he finds out how Heathrow went from a row of tents to an international powerhouse, welcoming 70 million passengers a year. Anita discovers how weather affects the airport each day, not just when it snows. And Dallas looks at first class on the A380, the world’s largest passenger jet.