Britain's Busiest Airport: Heathrow

It's the height of summer. Temperatures at Heathrow have reached a sweat-inducing 32.2C - and the planet is on course for the hottest year in history. The airport is tackling climate change head on, and for Airside Ian, that means a new motor.

This year is Heathrow's 75th birthday and as it continues to get back on its feet the time has come to open up the last of its closed terminals - Terminal 4.

Well over a year into the global pandemic and Heathrow finally has something to celebrate - Terminal 3 is re-opening its doors to the public with 11 Virgin flights set to take to the skies.

Although there may be fewer passengers disrupted by the visit, it's still a huge deal logistically that Heathrow will be welcoming the President of the United States.

There's something smelly in Cargo that Border Force have to get to the bottom of. Passenger Experience Manager Harry rushes to a gate that's had its door smashed in and King of Terminal 2 Demi has 700 passengers descend on him - one being a pop star.

Answering the question of whether you could pick up someone else's boarding card and take a trip around the world. Plus, some plane-spotters await a rather rare sight.

It's all smells at Heathrow's Terminal 3 with a new restaurant, and Border Force dog Jessie sniffing out thousands of pounds. Meanwhile, Airside Ian is ramping up his crow impersonations, and Demi prevents a cardiologist having a heart attack.

At Heathrow's Terminal Four, new airline on the block Vietnam Airlines are battling baggage woes in the lead up to the holiday period. Rookie engineer Mo comes up with an ingenious solution to ensure no-one is stranded abroad without their luggage.

It's midnight. Airside Ian checks Heathrow's airfield lights before the onslaught of half term. Drugs Dog Cole protects the Border, while officer Estefania pushes passengers through security with a unique handling method.

It's a right royal romp at Heathrow Airport with VIPs oozing out of every terminal. Passenger Experience Manager Sue gets star struck, whilst in Terminal Four, hockey champions try using their gold medals for an upgrade.

An arresting episode greets viewers this time as Heathrow's boys in blue dash to the gate. Plus, Queen of Passenger Experience Sue sorts out some gents, whilst out on the airfield, Airside Ian shows off his muscles.

A five-star airline gives a top tier performance all about baggage. Plus, Border Force Rob deals with a frozen chicken trying to enter the country, and there's a surprise for passengers flying across to Heathrow's number one European destination.

Terminal 5 receives a very special visitor, leaving Buggy Driver Carlo starstruck. British Airways have a new robot on the airfield and Border Force release the hounds in search of dirty money. Last in the series.

The Border Force pull over a Ghanaian businessman declaring £114,000 in cash, there is love in the air at the unlikely location of T5 arrivals when a blind date takes place and it is the end of an era on the airfield for chief trainer Simon.

It is all things Eastern with the arrival of some special cargo, a potential people trafficker flagged to Border Force, and the polar vortex that battered Britain in March affectionately called the Beast from the East. Also, rookie Ian is back.

The airport is busy as it is half term with rich Russian kids returning home from British boarding schools, and trouble arrives when the biggest mobile crane stops in the middle of a live airfield.

Problems arise when a flight to New York is cancelled. Meanwhile, snow and ice threaten to close the runways.

Travellers face the challengers of transferring in the five-square-mile airport, with 200 gates and four terminals.

Passenger Experience Manager Sue does her best to get a passenger to his connecting flight at Gatwick - 38 miles away.

Storm Imogen causes chaos on the runways and in the terminals, with airside safety officer Simon keeping his eyes peeled for any potentially dangerous debris that could damage the landing planes. In Terminal 4, manager Sunita looks after dozens of passengers whose flight to Delhi has been cancelled, while trainee engineer Elliot prepares to get his hands dirty as he clears a blocked sewage pit - an essential part of the airport's operations that no passenger normally sees.

An American airline has one of its busiest days as hundreds of people fly to the USA for Thanksgiving, while Heathrow employee Sunita helps a woman who has lost her two-year old daughter. Ground staff use measures to disperse birds from the runway to prevent any collisions with aircraft, resident paramedic Izzy treats a pregnant passenger suffering from serious abdominal pain who is due to fly to Brazil that day and British Airways employees prepare for the inaugural flight of their new £185 million aircraft the Dreamliner.

Heavy fog throws Heathrow into turmoil and new terminal manager Callum is faced with hundreds of angry and stranded passengers stuck overnight at the airport, while visibility has dropped to less than 100m on the airfield and safety officer Chris is forced to marshal planes. Manager Nilam reveals the secrets of one of Heathrow's most exclusive first-class lounges and dispatcher James and his team hunt around the terminal for late passengers for a flight to Pakistan.

This episode follows Heathrow staff trying to process 100,000 departing passengers a day, and get their flights away on time. Dispatcher Callie and Ramp Manager Steve have their plans thrown into chaos by a passenger who disappears after checking on to their flight. In Security, Sundeep and his team have to search an unusually dressed traveller, and deal with a man who is unhappy about having his bag searched. Meanwhile, Heathrow’s extradition team ensures police suspects are put on departing flights, while paparazzi photographer Kate is on the lookout for celebrities flying through the airport.

This episode follows Heathrow staff struggling to turn around hundreds of arriving planes, and get them back into the air on time. Cleaners, ground staff and flight crew race to get the world’s biggest passenger plane ready for departure. Meanwhile Heathrow prepares to open a £2bn new terminal, and welcomes a very special royal guest. Airport duty manager Andy is called on to defuse a major international protest, and a team of workers battle the elements as they attempt to resurface the runway overnight in time for the first flight of the morning.

This episode follows Heathrow staff racing against the clock to process thousands of passengers arriving from 84 different countries. Airside Safety Officer Glenn and his colleagues work closely with Air Traffic Control to keep Heathrow’s two runways open and clear of debris. Meanwhile, staff from the Animal Reception Centre welcome a variety of weird and wonderful animals – from pet ferrets to a wild tiger. Inside the terminals, Heathrow staff deal with passengers including a man who is stuck living at the airport after being deported from Thailand, and a family whose young relatives have got lost in Arrivals.