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00:01Toronto Pearson International Airport is the size of a small city and no day
00:08is the same. Its staff have learned to expect the unexpected from storms on the
00:20ramp. That's the bad side of bad weather. Can't predict nothing. It's nature. To human remains. We take good care of them. They're our number one priority. And a bag that triggers an alarm. I've been doing it for 26 years. It looks like something very dangerous. This is Canada's biggest gateway to the world. An elite
00:45force of 50,000 working nonstop. A lot of departments that sit here are like marionette puppeteers and make sure that everything happens. Keeping flights across six continents moving while battling the elements. That's what we get paid for. To do the impossible. And facing the unexpected. There's a medical going on right now on an aircraft. And they're doing it around the clock to keep Toronto International on track.
01:15Approximately 130,000 passengers pass through Toronto International Airport each day, checking in up to 100,000 items of luggage. But before each bag makes its way along more than 18 miles of conveyor belts to an aircraft, it must be carefully checked.
01:45At Toronto Pearson, every bag passes through state-of-the-art scanners.
01:50It comes down a huge belt. It circles down, all the way down, then goes to our x-ray machine.
01:59CATSA, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, is responsible for preventing prohibited items from getting on to planes.
02:07When a bag triggers an alarm in one of the scanners, a CATSA agent decides if it requires further investigation.
02:16They'll check it out. They'll say, OK, and this is fine. I'll send it off. Or they may say, you know what? There's something in here I'm not confident about. I'm not comfortable with this bag going on an aircraft without being searched. So they send it to us.
02:29Down in the recon or inspection room, experienced screening officer Ash Gobin thoroughly investigates every flagged bag.
02:41End of the day, the first thing you think is threat. I must find threats, and I must ensure that no threats are allowed on an aircraft.
02:51It's not just a job that you think, OK, I have to just do my job, and I punch in and I punch out, and I got my money, what do I care? People's lives are at stake.
02:59This bag has been flagged for containing large quantities of organic material. Prohibited organic material can include narcotics and even some types of explosives.
03:13Ash's first step is a swab of the bag.
03:17I am taking samples of particles that may be residual on the bag on the places that a would-be terrorist would most likely touch.
03:28And I'm going to check my sample in my machine. It's an explosive trace detection machine, and it will tell me if there are particles that are dangerous.
03:42Then it said it gave me no alarm afterwards, so it means it's clear.
03:47We still have to go through the bag and look for other things that might be dangerous.
03:50If it's thicker, I will take it out and open it up and pat it down so that I'm sure that there's nothing hidden inside.
04:01The organic material turns out to be food on this occasion, but without checking, Ash can't be sure.
04:07Everything's good with this bag.
04:09So I'm going to repack the bag as nicely as I can.
04:14I put a notice of bag check tag so that the person who opens the bag up knows that it was searched.
04:22I seal it up and send it off to the aircraft.
04:25Not every bag screening is as straightforward.
04:30Ash's next bag has a combination lock.
04:32This bag, I'll have to call the airline to get me the code for it, because I can't open this one.
04:39And we can force entry, but not bags like these.
04:41Until it's checked, this bag isn't going anywhere.
04:49Every movement through the airport is part of a tightly choreographed system.
04:54And in the Cargo Operations Control Center, Paul Martens focuses on tracking incoming flights with unusual contents.
05:02This morning, an inbound container needs very sensitive and respectful handling.
05:11I'm currently monitoring a human remains shipment that we have coming in today.
05:16So when it comes to human remains, we basically have to make sure that we have runners and equipment available to meet the flight.
05:24Toronto Pearson is one of six main airports in Canada that handles human remains.
05:29Worldwide, around 50,000 bodies are transported by commercial jets every year.
05:54All those that pass through Toronto Pearson on brief stopovers are treated with the utmost respect.
06:04We take good care of them.
06:06They're our number one priority.
06:09So yeah, we take good care of them.
06:13Having passed away outside Canada, they're on their final journey to be reunited with family.
06:19So yeah, they're getting ready to take it off, the human remains.
06:26So we want to make sure we get a nice cart.
06:31This cart's good.
06:37Turn it up, wait.
06:39Caskets containing human remains are sealed, leak-proof, and packed in protective outer containers.
06:45It's helped to secure it more in case something full, it won't blow away.
06:52So it's more to secure it than anything else.
06:58For some, the idea of transporting the deceased is unsettling.
07:02You have some guys who are scared of human remains, but I don't really scare them.
07:07So, I'm okay with it.
07:10Maybe because they're thinking of ghosts?
07:12I don't know.
07:13I'm not scared.
07:14So, we're good.
07:18So it's good, secure.
07:20We'll head back.
07:23And everybody will be happy.
07:25Body secured, Carl accompanies them on the next stage of their journey.
07:38So now he's going to send the lead out, and the lead's going to come and get the human remain.
07:43Because we're not supposed to leave them unattended.
07:46Safely delivered to the storage facility, these human remains will be returned tomorrow to their family.
08:03Back at the recon room, screening officer Ash is still waiting to gain access to the locked bag.
08:09I'm going to document this bag, place it aside, and wait for the airline to get back to me, to give me a code, or open the bag for me.
08:25It's not long before a new bag arrives in the recon room, and this one triggers alarm bells for Ash.
08:33There are some things that, when I see them, I get scared.
08:37It looks like something very dangerous.
08:41From our training, that could very well be a sheet explosive.
08:47So, I'm looking at a potential sheet explosive.
08:50Now, it may not be that.
08:53It may just be something that seems that way.
08:56Sheet explosive is flexible plastic material packed with powerful rubberized explosives that are easily concealed.
09:02So, I won't go into the bag until I am very certain that this is not an actual explosive device.
09:08After a detailed scan, Ash makes the call.
09:12I believe this is the lining of the bag.
09:14So, I will go in there, carefully of course, and check to make sure that it is what I think it is.
09:20In this job, even a slim risk needs to be dealt with seriously.
09:25The bag's padlocked.
09:29With the airline's permission, Ash grabs the bolt cutters.
09:32It was these shelves that caused the alarm because I can tell where it's placed in the bag.
10:01So, it wasn't the lining.
10:03I'm still going to go ahead and check the lining because I would like to be 100% sure.
10:08It's not very easy to clearly see exactly everything.
10:14No threat this time.
10:15Just a home improvement enthusiast.
10:20It's an unexpected find, but not the strangest item to come through the recon room.
10:24I had a toilet once.
10:28I wasn't expecting it.
10:29Just a full toilet.
10:31Someone was carrying a toilet to wherever they're going.
10:34A brand new toilet, of course, but that was really unusual.
10:36Almost 15,000 lights illuminate the runways and taxiways at Toronto Pearson Airport.
10:48They are a vital visual navigational aid, enabling aircraft to safely maneuver around the airfield and take off and land.
10:57Especially in poor weather and at night.
11:03If the lights go out, the airport will grind to a halt.
11:10And it's the job of Airside Electrical to ensure they are always working, especially after a hard winter.
11:17We were told there was a fault yesterday on our taxiway kilo, so we're going to go up there, take a look, see what's causing the fault.
11:28This circuit supplies power to 90 lights on taxiway kilo, leading from airline hangars to the runways.
11:36If the repair isn't completed before nightfall, a crucial part of Toronto Pearson's airfield could go dark.
11:43Before they check the grid, they'll have to kill the power.
11:49The circuits carry enough voltage to be fatal.
11:54This is the main disconnect for the regulator.
11:57So to work on the circuit safely, we're going to lock this out so there's no power going out to the airfield.
12:02The tower or somebody else could walk in here and turn it on, and you could be working on it and get it electrocuted.
12:07Now, there's no way anybody, the tower can't turn it on, and anybody else that comes in here can't turn it on.
12:15So a 20 kilowatt regulator, if it was to come on at full power, there's potential for 3,000 volts to be out there on that circuit.
12:26The potential for danger on a job like this is pretty high.
12:30Padlock secured, their detective work begins.
12:33All the lighting circuits in the airports are run underground.
12:44There's probably hundreds of kilometers of cable, and probably hundreds and hundreds of circuits.
12:51It can be easily found, or it could be, you know, something that takes a really long time to source where the problem is.
12:57As they search for the fault, the crew take on any routine maintenance they turn up.
13:12This is just like a rubber connector.
13:15Technically, it probably could hold on pretty well, but we like to put on some tape, so there's no chance of it coming apart.
13:23Airport ground lighting is very important, so every single one of these lights gives a different piece of information.
13:33Imagine the streets and your neighborhood with no street lights, traffic lights, intersections without lights.
13:40So a blue one, such as this one, is telling you that you are on a taxiway.
13:48Other lights will tell you you're on a runway.
13:52Red lights show you where you need to stop.
13:58If we get a low reading, it could be a burnt cable.
14:02It could be simply from wear and tear.
14:05I mean, there's a problem, man.
14:15It's not a burnt cable.
14:17It's not wear and tear.
14:20So we had some mice that decided to make this pulpit a home and chewed up some of the cable here.
14:30There's a hole right here, right?
14:32Yeah, there's a gap here.
14:33They sneak in and find somewhere warm for the winter.
14:37Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually a fault like that will create a total fault in the system where the entire circuit goes down.
14:47With the cause identified, John and the team need to repair all the damage before it gets dark.
14:53So the sooner we can get to it and fix it, the better.
14:56As the airside electrical team investigate the taxiway lights, they discover the mouse damage is more extensive than feared.
15:07I confirmed what we said earlier that there was a rodent that used the cable as part of his meal.
15:14But then on further inspection, we did find there was another cable right here.
15:20And that's going a little bit further down the field over here.
15:26So it looks like we're going to have to change this cable and change this cable here.
15:32John and the team must replace nearly 400 feet of underground cabling to restore full power to the taxiway lighting before it gets dark.
15:42Ready?
15:43Yeah.
15:43One, two, three.
15:44So we're setting up some new cable.
15:53We've got a damaged cable that goes southbound over there.
15:57Damaged one that goes east to that other pit here.
16:02We do have a crimper, right?
16:04I do.
16:05Okay, great.
16:12That's our connector there.
16:14So we have our male, we have our female.
16:16This is the one that we're going to be replacing.
16:19New cabling will need to be given a male or female connection to rejoin the circuit and replace the damaged cable.
16:33It's good.
16:35They head back to check if they have repaired all of the rodent damage.
16:39Selecting 2.5 kV on this 5 kilovolt insulation tester.
16:53And we'll see what happens.
16:58Holding a voltage of 2,500 volts.
17:01Okay, we got 827, 916 megs.
17:06So yeah, these are really good numbers.
17:07Circuits in great shape now.
17:09Padlock removed and power restored.
17:15It's airside electrical 1.
17:18Mice 0.
17:19Across the airport, in the Air Canada hangar, a Boeing 777 has come in for the maintenance team to investigate a fuel leak.
17:31Can I try a socket?
17:33What side?
17:33Let's try 3.8s.
17:36There are 25 777s in Air Canada's fleet, flying their longest and busiest international routes.
17:44This one is scheduled to fly tonight.
17:49All right.
17:50The defect was, fuel was leaking from the jettison pumps.
17:56That's the pump we are going to remove.
17:59The jettison pump, tucked away inside the wing, is used to dump fuel if the plane needs to land when it is above its maximum landing weight.
18:11There's a fuel jettison button inside of the cockpit for the pilot to push.
18:15In an emergency situation, when the pilot hits up, it sends an electrical signal to our unit here, then sends fuel directly from the fuel tank out of the aircraft.
18:27This pump is leaking.
18:30It comes out.
18:32There we go.
18:33There we go.
18:34And there it is.
18:37Okay, good job.
18:40So we are going to remove the three O-rings seals.
18:44The O-rings are rubber seals that compress to keep fuel from escaping.
18:49Over time, they become worn.
18:51So the plan is to replace them.
18:54Let's put the most inboard one, dash 243.
18:58Boeing provides us with a series of instructions to follow, which we have to follow very closely and precisely, down to torquing the screws in place.
19:08Air Canada operates 13 different kinds of aircraft, each with their own unique demands.
19:13The maintenance crew need to check the service manual to ensure they carry out the job with meticulous diligence.
19:22It has to go in a little bit more to line up.
19:25Yeah, it has to line up.
19:28Each aircraft, we are given a certain amount of time to complete the task.
19:31We are in a bit of a time race, but you do have to take a step back, make sure everything is being completed safely, and everything is being met to the standard that that's given to us.
19:44Precision can't be rushed.
19:46On the ramp, lead station attendant Shakar Lail and his team load a full flight to Denver.
19:57These are all connections.
20:01International, I guess, Manila too.
20:04Going to Manila, Philippines.
20:07Clouds are brewing.
20:08Strong winds have picked up around the airport.
20:14That's the bad side of bad weather.
20:17It's part of the job, I guess, but can't predict nothing.
20:21It's nature.
20:24Loading a flight during high winds makes routine ramp operations dangerous.
20:30These empty containers, it must be strapped.
20:32They can't be loading any empty ULDs onto the aircraft.
20:38They can fly off the loaders and stuff like that.
20:41Planes sometimes transport empty ULDs or unit load devices.
20:46Even though they weigh up to 140 pounds, strong winds can throw these cargo cans around.
20:53Getting really windy.
20:55The increasing wind speed creates another challenge for the ramp team.
20:59To offload passengers, planes usually park nose-first at the terminal.
21:05But the strong tailwind is now blowing directly into the rear exhaust of the jet engines.
21:11Jet engines work by sucking air in through the front and forcing it out the back.
21:16But the tailwind is reversing this airflow, preventing them from starting up safely.
21:22The air car has to face the building and the engine has to go the opposite direction because of the wind.
21:29Unless the plane can be turned out of the wind, it won't be going anywhere.
21:39The Paymover is one of the workhorses of Toronto Pearson.
21:43They tow aircraft across the airfield without the need for pilots.
21:57And planes can't easily reverse.
22:00So Paymovers and other tugs push the jets back from the departure gates.
22:05The latest addition is the Oshkosh B950.
22:14An electrically powered monster for some of the biggest jets.
22:18At the ground support workshop, a brand new one has just arrived.
22:23It's important to do the check sheet just to make sure that everything is perfectly safe before we let it go to the ramp.
22:27Technician Andrew Wadwani is giving it a thorough examination.
22:33There's a lot of little things that need to be addressed before, and we want to make sure we catch it before anybody else does.
22:39It is pushing planes back, so the last thing you want to do is have basically something break.
22:43One of the most vital parts of the Paymover is its massive four-foot diameter wheels.
22:51We're right on the money at 140 psi.
22:54I'll double-check, run my hands on the tires, just make sure we have no cuts or bruises or anything weird on the tire.
23:03It gets up to a maximum of 22 kilometers an hour.
23:06Kilometers, not miles.
23:08It may only reach 13 miles per hour, but it makes up for that with brute power.
23:14Good.
23:15Beautified.
23:17This Paymover is able to push and pull planes over seven times its weight, including the immense Boeing 777.
23:28Okay, perfect. We'll go all the way in.
23:32So, basically, we got all four HETRAs in.
23:34We're actually going to connect them all now and get this unit up in the air.
23:38High-voltage cables.
23:39A HETRA is a type of vehicle lifting system, and in order to finish his inspection, Andrew needs to take a look underneath.
23:48At first, it's scary and it's daunting on you, especially when you're dealing with the amount of weight that you're lifting.
23:55Because it's hard to comprehend, it's 25 plus tons above you.
24:00So, it's wild at first, but then you get really comfortable like anything else in the trade, right?
24:05But Andrew isn't leaving anything to chance.
24:08All right, as we move around these big safety stands, it's super simple.
24:12We're going to look for things that are welded to the unit.
24:14That way, if it ever comes down, we're safe.
24:20With the electric motor putting a lot more stress on the components, we want to make sure that everything is bolted right in place.
24:26So, we're going to look for the manufacturer's torque marks to make sure everything is exactly where it needs to be.
24:32One final step is needed before this new pay mover can take on some of Toronto Pearson's more heavyweight aircraft.
24:40You have to have enough weight to be able to push the plane.
24:43So, if it's slightly light, it won't have enough on the ground to be able to push forward.
24:48So, you want to have as much weight as you possibly can so it doesn't hop or bounce and skip on the suspension.
24:52Each one of these blocks are 2,500 pounds or 1,100 kilos, and we got eight of them.
24:57That's good. Straight. Yep, straight.
25:03Okay, drop it down. All right.
25:05That makes the last of the ballots.
25:078,800 kilograms loaded.
25:09We're going to get this unit ready to go and hit the ramp.
25:13Now weighing in at over 55 tons, the latest member of the fleet is ready to go to work.
25:22Out on the windy ramp, Shakar is going to use a smaller one of these all-new electric pay movers
25:31to tow the Denver Jent out of the tailwind so it can safely start its engines.
25:39Hello, captain. Cockpit.
25:42I'm calling the pilot. Cockpit.
25:44He calls the tower, the tower gives him the clearance, and that's when we push.
25:53But this isn't going to be an ordinary pushback.
25:56To get the plane started, Shakar will have to undertake what's called a push-and-pull maneuver.
26:02Okay, A of Delta, push and pull to A Delta.
26:04It's go time.
26:09An Airbus A320, fully loaded with cargo and 168 passengers on board, weighs in at around 86 tons.
26:19And this is a smaller aircraft. It's a 777? Forget it. No way.
26:23As Shakar pushes the plane back from the gate,
26:31it's not the weight that's a challenge, but the wind.
26:35It's now turning the turbine blades,
26:38which is not a problem for the engine, but does require the push and then the pull.
26:45Push complete. It's on to stage two, the pull.
26:54Push and pull. The reason why we're reversing is because he wants to face the runway.
27:01So I have to pull him this way.
27:03Shakar must now aim the plane so the wind isn't blowing straight into the rear of the engines.
27:08So far, so good.
27:10Once we come to a complete stop, that's when we start the engine.
27:16Otherwise, what happens if the engine is not running,
27:19it will take over the pay mover and start pushing the pay mover.
27:24The pay mover is powerful, but no match for the jet engines.
27:31If the plane isn't stationary with its brakes applied,
27:35the 46,000 pounds of thrust would overwhelm the pay mover.
27:40Okay, pushback complete and brake set.
27:44And we're clear to start.
27:46And now, the moment of truth.
27:52With the plane up and running, the mighty pay mover can detach.
27:59Wind's conquered.
28:03It's cleared for takeoff.
28:10While planes can fly as long as their fuel allows,
28:15for everyone's safety, pilots have limits to the hours they can work.
28:20Overworked pilots could jeopardize the safety of passengers.
28:24Keeping planes flying while staying within pilots' permitted hours
28:28is a tricky logistical challenge for every airline.
28:37As day turns into night,
28:39in the terminal,
28:40Air Canada Lead Customer Experience Specialist,
28:42Nikki Tsimiklas,
28:44is just at the beginning of her shift.
28:45But on her next departure,
28:50the pilots are nearing the end of theirs.
28:53We're heading to D33.
28:54There's a flight to Winnipeg that's coming in at 8 o'clock.
29:00We have to deplane it and turn it around really, really fast.
29:04The pilots that are going to be timing out,
29:06they have to kick the brakes by 8.55,
29:08so that doesn't give us a lot of time.
29:09No Air Canada pilot can work more than 13 hours in a given day.
29:17They cannot exceed those hours.
29:19It's a safety thing.
29:20It's regulated by Transport Canada.
29:22To ensure the pilots don't exceed their working hours,
29:26the flight must depart by 8.55 p.m.
29:29Nikki has 50 minutes to get the plane turned around
29:32and the passengers on board.
29:35But there's a problem.
29:37The plane is running late.
29:38It's 8.05 already,
29:40and the plane is not at the gate yet.
29:42We have to have it deplaned, cleaned, catered,
29:45everything by 8.40.
29:46So there's a lot of players.
29:47It's not just us here.
29:49It's the crew.
29:50It's REMP.
29:51It's our grooming team.
29:52It's our catering team.
29:54They all have to be ready to run and do everything
29:56so we can do it as quickly as possible.
29:59Nikki is doing all she can to tip the odds in her favor.
30:03We do need to check in quite a few bags
30:05before we begin boarding.
30:06We're looking for people right now to volunteer
30:08to check in their carry-on bags.
30:11If everybody boards with a carry-on bag,
30:12it takes time to board
30:14because they have to go in,
30:16look for their seats, store their bags.
30:18Just want people at this point to just board
30:20and close the doors
30:21because we really don't want to risk
30:23losing the pilots on this one.
30:26Just going to put it on here,
30:27and then you're going to leave it at the door
30:28of the aircraft when you board.
30:30The pressure is on.
30:37If this flight cancels,
30:40there won't be any flight available
30:41until 12.15 or 7.15 p.m. tomorrow.
30:47That could delay more than 150 passengers
30:50for 15 to 22 hours.
30:52So it's important.
30:54We have to.
30:56And we will.
31:05In the hangar,
31:06the maintenance team is ready to run the pump
31:08and check the 777 for leaks.
31:11By reinstalling our O-rings,
31:13we're hoping that solves our leaking problem.
31:15Okay, sir.
31:18Make sure the fuel valve is open
31:20and leave the panel open.
31:22Copy that.
31:23We're going to arm the jellysine system
31:25and make sure the pump is running.
31:37Copy that.
31:38Pump is running.
31:41And then let me know
31:41if there is a leak for us.
31:45With less than four hours
31:48until the plane must leave the hangar,
31:50they need to ensure the repair was successful.
31:59Wreck pump is running and no leaks.
32:02Okay, thank you.
32:05Looks good.
32:06It looks like the seals did the trick
32:08and it's all dry up there.
32:10So I was ready to then close it up
32:13and get this airplane out.
32:15All they need to do now
32:17is reattach the access panel.
32:24What's up?
32:27It's missing anchor.
32:29But it looks like celebrations will have to wait.
32:33The panel is missing one of the anchor nuts
32:35that hold it in place.
32:36We need to replace our anchor nut
32:39that we are missing from our panel.
32:42To ensure the safety of the plane,
32:44it's all or nothing.
32:47The finish line has just moved further away.
32:50So a little bit of an unforeseen delay,
32:52but this is what aviation is.
32:54Some unforeseen things that come up,
32:56but you got to keep working
32:58and see what you can finish pretty much.
33:00I will put the receipt here for you.
33:09So hold on to it.
33:10You're going to leave it at the door
33:11of the aircraft when you board.
33:13Okay.
33:14At gate D33,
33:15on the tight turnaround flight to Winnipeg,
33:18the plane has just arrived.
33:19Oh, good.
33:20They're coming off.
33:20So it's here.
33:228.07, first pass off.
33:25So it's very important
33:26to write down all the timings.
33:27I'm noticing that people
33:28are coming off already.
33:30The first passenger that has come off
33:32is at 8.07.
33:34Nikki works with all the teams on the ground.
33:38We're going to tie all these bags.
33:39We have to make sure our ramp team
33:40is ready to take those bags down
33:43and to close the door before we leave.
33:46So there's a lot of pieces.
33:47The last passengers have disembarked.
33:51On the apron,
33:52teams prepare the plane for departure.
33:57Rumors clean the cabin
33:59in readiness for new passengers.
34:02Caterers replenish the galleys
34:04with food and drink.
34:07And baggage is loaded in to the cargo hold.
34:10As soon as the crew goes down,
34:12we'll start staging them.
34:14We'll board people
34:15and we'll hold them halfway.
34:17By staging
34:18or assembling passengers
34:20as close as possible to the plane,
34:22Nikki hopes to speed up boarding
34:23when the aircraft is ready.
34:26It's currently age 25.
34:28They need to...
34:29Brakes off by 8.55.
34:31So we have 30 minutes
34:32and there's about 160 customers.
34:35So, yeah.
34:36Every minute counts at this point.
34:37I've told her to make an announcement.
34:41So when she's making families with small children,
34:43anyone with a tag on their back,
34:44come up right now.
34:44Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:45The aircraft's already loaded.
34:46Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:48The last pack's off?
34:49Perfect.
34:50Let's do this.
34:52With just 30 minutes left
34:54until pushback
34:54and 20 minutes maximum
34:56to finish boarding,
34:58Nikki has to keep things moving.
35:00Guys, I need the crew to come down
35:02or else we're not going anywhere,
35:03especially now
35:04because we've got to do this super fast.
35:07Guys, let the crew go down, please.
35:09Sorry.
35:10Nikki is on high alert
35:11for anything that may slow down
35:13the departure of the plane.
35:15Did you write down
35:15what time the pilots went down?
35:17It was a...
35:18Write it down, write it down.
35:20Say hello.
35:21Sorry.
35:21You want to wait with them until there?
35:23Yeah.
35:23You want to wait?
35:24Yeah.
35:24Okay, are you all the way down?
35:26Yes, I'm fine.
35:26Perfect.
35:26Thank you so much.
35:28The passengers,
35:29we started boarding them
35:30and our colleague
35:31is just going to wait.
35:32Thank you so much.
35:34She's just going to wait
35:35at the bottom
35:36with all of them
35:37until the crew
35:38gives them the thumbs up
35:39that they're ready
35:40to start boarding.
35:41That way,
35:42they just get on the airplane.
35:44So this saves a few minutes.
35:46The amazing race,
35:47269,
35:48is starting.
35:51But this is such a tight race
35:53that any unforeseen problem
35:55could completely derail her plan
35:56to keep the plane on time.
35:59And she said
36:00that there is maintenance
36:00and she should do not
36:01state anybody who stops.
36:12Across the airfield
36:13in the maintenance hangar,
36:15engineers can't finish the repair
36:16on the 777
36:17because of a missing
36:19tiny quarter-inch nut.
36:22And it's nowhere to be seen.
36:24now it's threatening
36:27to hold up
36:28the maintenance schedule.
36:30We're going to kick this one out.
36:32It will clog everything up.
36:35The team need to act fast.
36:38We take a look in the shop
36:39and then we see it.
36:40We have it in the shop?
36:41Yeah.
36:42We'll be back with the anchor nut.
36:43Okay.
36:44To keep its fleet of over 400 aircraft
36:49in operation,
36:51Air Canada has a vast storage hangar
36:53containing thousands of spare parts.
36:56At over 127,000 square feet,
36:59it's the largest freestanding hangar
37:01in Canada.
37:03It houses tens of millions of dollars
37:06of equipment
37:06to facilitate quick repairs
37:08and keep Air Canada's fleet
37:10on the move.
37:12It has everything
37:14from entire engines,
37:15each worth millions of dollars,
37:17to disposable life preservers.
37:21These life vests
37:22normally last about 10 years,
37:24which means that
37:25they are going out
37:26to be recertified
37:27and refixed
37:27and be reused again.
37:29This is how it works
37:30when you pull these
37:31and they would go like this.
37:35You can see here
37:36is a slide.
37:38Our captain's chair
37:45is most likely ranging
37:46from at least 250k
37:49to almost 500k,
37:51depending on which aircraft it is.
37:57The good news is
37:58they also have a ready supply
38:00of quarter-inch anchor nuts.
38:03All good?
38:04All good.
38:05All good.
38:05Thank you very much.
38:06Appreciate it, guys.
38:08Replacement anchor not acquired,
38:10the team can fix
38:11the access panel in place.
38:17And last through.
38:19All done.
38:24Last bit.
38:25Get this plane out.
38:26Aviation never goes as smooth
38:31as you think it will.
38:32There's always something
38:33that comes up,
38:34but you've got to keep moving forward
38:36and finish the job.
38:39With more than 90 minutes to spare,
38:41the 777 can fly again.
38:43The time is just about up for Nicky
38:47and her flight to Winnipeg.
38:50Maintenance is on board,
38:51you heard?
38:53Yep.
38:54Yeah.
38:55So we're just going to hold.
38:56We have everybody ready.
38:58The moment they say go,
38:59we will get everyone.
38:59If it doesn't push back
39:01in 10 minutes,
39:03the pilots will be out of hours.
39:06For the information,
39:07passengers dropping
39:07when I identify to 6-9
39:09with service to be back.
39:10And I can inform you
39:11that there is some issue
39:12which the maintenance needs to look at.
39:14So we're just holding for that.
39:16I don't know what exactly
39:17is wrong right now.
39:19I heard the word maintenance.
39:22On the flight deck,
39:23a maintenance team
39:24is troubleshooting a fault.
39:25We're going to pause boarding
39:28until we find out what's going on
39:29and then we'll resume it again.
39:34There's still a lot of people to board.
39:38They didn't give any indication?
39:41Did they say what's going on at all?
39:43No.
39:43Nothing?
39:44That's what Saurabh said.
39:45The gate team might not know
39:46the nature of the fault,
39:48but if it isn't resolved quickly,
39:50their efforts to get this flight away
39:51will have been in vain.
39:54Tractor just gave us a thumbs up here.
39:55Thumbs up.
39:56We're good.
39:57Thumbs up.
39:57Okay, we're good to go.
39:59I got it.
39:59Go, go, stop boarding.
40:01Let's keep going.
40:02Have your IDs ready, please,
40:04in your hands.
40:10You guys are boarded,
40:11so you can just go straight in.
40:17This is the final boarding call.
40:19If you hear your name,
40:20please board immediately
40:21at gate D33.
40:22Doors will be closing in one minute.
40:24Oh, they're boarded?
40:26They're all boarded.
40:26Oh, yes.
40:28We, guys, minus four.
40:29Good job.
40:30We want to...
40:30I'll then...
40:31Print the paperwork.
40:34Let's run it down.
40:36We did our job.
40:37It's over to the crew,
40:39the passengers to sit down,
40:41the crew, the pilots, and ramp.
40:42I don't want to jinx it,
40:45but look and get you.
40:46Look and get you.
40:47You know what I was doing with her, right?
40:49But two minutes later,
40:50the plane hasn't left the gate,
40:52and Nikki needs to check its status.
40:56I just want an update on 269.
40:59269, so the last update I have
41:01from maintenance is that
41:02they were doing the reset on the aircraft.
41:05Hopefully, we should get an answer
41:08in about the next two to five minutes.
41:10We have, like, one minute.
41:14We're not sure what's happening.
41:16So right now, we're just waiting.
41:23Then, as Nikki has just about given up hope...
41:28Yay!
41:28Look, the door closed.
41:30Yay!
41:31Come, come, come.
41:32Look, the door closed.
41:36See that?
41:40Come on, come on, come on.
41:42Yes!
41:44That was fantastic.
41:47I don't know.
41:47I don't know, honestly.
41:48Like, well done.
41:50Good job, team.
41:51Just in the nick of time.
41:53That's amazing.
41:54So many departments
41:55got together for that one.
41:58They're pushing back now.
42:01It's gone.
42:01We're happy.
42:02The customers are happy.
42:04We're getting them on their way.
42:06Business as usual
42:08at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
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