Episode 5

It’s a new year. While Omicron has been raging across Europe, the UK has resisted lockdown and relaxed rules for arrivals. As the airport looks ahead to the future, a few airlines have emerged from the pandemic challenges as success stories. Jeremy meets an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane from Addis Ababa - carrying surprising cargo - and learns from their CEO how they pivoted their operations swiftly to survive.

When most Heathrow airlines suspended flights, transatlantic carrier JetBlue pounced on the opportunity to grab temporary vacant take-off and landing slots. Their challenge is to prove they are distinctive enough to keep hold of the slots, so Jeremy checks out a flight to New York to see if they stand out across classes. Business custom is the holy grail for airlines, and senior manager Audrey from Virgin Atlantic tests a new premium menu, both on the ground and on a flight, and gets feedback from passengers to inform future plotting.

Jeremy visits NATS, responsible for UK air traffic, to see how they are modernising airspace and trying to reduce aircraft emissions. As February half-term hits and Jeremy’s time at Heathrow comes to an end, he catches up with Heathrow’s CEO, John Holland-Kaye, to see what lessons have been learned and what the future might hold. And it’s not long before another hurdle emerges.