Positioned between Europe, Africa and Asia, Dubai International is a cultural crossroad where travelers and employees from around the world mesh together.

In the new ten-part series Ultimate Airport Dubai, premiering on Monday, 2 September at 21:55 on National Geographic, channel 181 on DStv, go behind-the-scenes of Dubai International’s 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 facility, the series follows some of the 60 000 staff working hard to keep it safe, secure, and on schedule. From Air Traffic Control handling emergency landings, customs intercepting suspected smugglers and engineers taking apart multi-million dollar jets to dealing with late flights and angry passengers, cargo headaches and even the construction of brand new R32.7-billion A380 facility, NGC provides a 360-degree view of this airport.

Ultimate Airport Dubai offers an insight into the many and varied jobs that most travelers never see, but that are vital to keep things running. The job of an air traffic controller is one of the most stressful occupations in the world, especially at Dubai International where a plane takes off or lands every 92.5 seconds. See how air traffic controllers, ready to respond in a moment’s notice, react to an in-flight medical emergency with injured passengers. And, work alongside the engineers that keep Dubai’s 90-kilometre baggage system running smoothly.

Ultimate Airport Dubai also enters Emirates Airlines’ engineering hangar to meet the aviation technicians tasked with keeping some of the largest planes in the world operational. See how they test 18 000 engine components and how long it takes to repaint an Airbus A330-200. After replacing a multi-million dollar engine, join pilots on a high-speed test flight, where they push the plane beyond the limits allowed during normal passenger travel. Over at the Emirates flight attendant training school, experience an all-too-real crash landing simulation and find out what it is like to slide out of the biggest passenger aircraft in the world during a water-landing training exercise.

The airport is already operating near capacity 24 hours a day, seven days a week but much like the rest of Dubai, it has the ambition to become number one. NGC follows the construction of a new, state-of-the-art concourse that will accommodate another 15 million passengers each year. Upon completion, it will be the first dedicated facility for the world’s biggest fleet of A380s. With the grand opening rapidly approaching, and an inspection by a member of the Royal Family on the horizon, crews furiously battle leaky pipes, missing materials, and delinquent contractors to finish the job on time.

With more than one million passengers travelling through Dubai International every week, delays are inevitable. Throw in the unexpected – fog, runway closures, late arrivals and mechanical problems, and it is business as usual for the Airport Services Supervisors who have to think fast and overcome language barriers to rebook passenger travel.

It takes an army of well-trained staff, the latest technological advancements, and an enormous amount of space to safely operate the world’s second busiest airport for international passengers. Ultimate Airport Dubai provides viewers with an all-access ticket to the various divisions of this expanding airport, which is poised to one day become the world’s busiest airport for international travel. Dubai International‘s continued success is not only instrumental in facilitating Dubai’s tourism and business industries, but it's also an employment powerhouse that helps to keep the region’s economy booming.

Ultimate Airport Dubai will be broadcast from Monday, 2 September at 21:55 on National Geographic, channel 181 on DStv.

It is produced for National Geographic Channels International by Arrow International Media. For Arrow Media, the series producer is Amanda Thomson while the executive producers are Nick Metcalfe and John Smithson. For NGCI, the executive vice president and head of International Content is Hamish Mykura.