| Genre: | Documentary |
| Runtime: | 30 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 11 |
| Num Episodes: | 96 (+ 7 specials) |
Airport is a British documentary television series based at London Heathrow Airport, broadcast by the BBC and syndicated to Dave, part of the UKTV network.
The show is a fly-on-the-wall series following passengers and staff who work for the airlines, the airport operator BAA, the animal reception centre, emergency services, customs and immigration, and others. The airlines and staff featured change from series to series, although certain staff feature in multiple series.
The first series of Airport aired on BBC One, beginning on 2 May 1996.[1] It was then repeated on BBC Two in April 1997.[2] Originally intended to be a low-key behind-the-scenes documentary, the emergence of several memorable recurring characters gave the show a docusoap feel. Special fame was gained by Jeremy Spake, an Aeroflot employee, whose flamboyance earned him a series of short 'bumpers' on UKTV People explaining how to best use airports. Other airlines featured throughout the series are Aer Lingus, Air Jamaica, Avianca, BMI, Canadian Airlines, Cyprus Airways (1947–2015), Czech Airlines, El Al, Emirates, Gulf Air, Icelandair, Iran Air, Jat Airways, Kuwait Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
There have also been several special Airport programmes over the years featuring airports other than Heathrow, such as Frankfurt and Edinburgh.
The first version from 1996 to 2001 had the opening scenes with the entrance to the Heathrow Airport tunnel and the theme music was composed by Hal Lindes. The opening titles and music were given a make over for the start of the 7th series in 2002. From the 7th series onwards, incidental music (composed by Cherry Lodge) was added over the scenes shown on screen. The title music was once again revamped for the 10th series in 2005. In addition, Liza Tarbuck replaced John Nettles as the show's narrator for series 10.
Celebrities who have been seen on the show include Stephen Fry, Hugh Hefner, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Joan Collins, Michael Jackson, Pamela Anderson, Blue, Brian May, Tom Jones, Mohammed Burhanuddin, Yusuf Islam, Colin Powell, Kate Winslet, David Beckham, Kriss Akabusi, Al Pacino, Engelbert Humperdinck, Lennox Lewis, Bob Geldof and several government or state officials including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, the Japanese Emperor and Bill Clinton.
In one episode, a BA staff member gets arrested by the airport police for impersonating someone else. He is arrested on board an incoming flight and is led away by un-uniformed officers.
John Cull, Qantas Airport Manager, appears in 17 episodes of the series. Jeremy Spake, Aeroflot Airlines Manager makes frequent appearances in the series. Maria Demetriou of Cyprus Airways (1947–2015) appears in many shows. Animal Health Officer Stuart King, Royal Suite manager Anita Newcourt and journalists Russell Clisby and Steve Meller all contribute in many of the series.
These include:-
| Name | Airline / Occupation | |
|---|---|---|
| Viv Eggins | Customer Service Manager, British Midland Airways | |
| Anita Newcourt MBE | Royal Suite Manager | |
| Michele Harris | Terminal Manager, Terminal 3 | |
| David Duddy | Customer Service Duty Manager, T1 | |
| Karen Jones | Customer Service Duty Manager, T3 | |
| Dennis Stone | Airport Photographer | |
| Axle Gundarsson | Steward, Icelandair | |
| Shaker Mehio | Customer Service Manager, Gulf Air | |
| Robert Scott | Immigration Officer | |
| Maria Demetriou | Airport Duty Manager, Cyprus Airways | |
| Eric Day | Immigration Officer | |
| Eben Twum-barima | Supervisor, Ghana Airways | |
| Caroline Acherson | Immigration Officer | |
| Sarah Collins | Check-in Supervisor, El Al | |
| Peter Luck | Check-in Supervisor, El Al | |
| Elaine Pringle | Dispatcher, Lufthansa | |
| Annabel Davis | WPC | |
| Nikki Taylor | Traffic Enforcement Officer | |
| Siobhan Feeney | Check-in Supervisor, Aer Lingus | |
| Corinne Cossu | Shopping Consultant | |
| Garth Powell | Customs Officer | |
| Gregg Bailey | Assistant Service Manager, bmi | |
| Ciara Thorn | Check-in Manager, bmi | |
| Merla Celestine | ||
| Nauaman | Supervisor, Qatar Airways | |
| Gerard Robinson | London Ambulance Service | |
| Paul Schofield | London Ambulance Service | |
| Kelvin Ogunjimi | Concierge, Canadian Airlines | |
| Naomi Tembo | Check-in Supervisor, Kenya Airways | |
| Mina Rughani | Airport Services Manager, Srilankan Airlines |
Repeats of Airport have been shown on Dave and UKTV People, and they often ran an Airport day or weekend, showing back-to-back episodes for the duration of the day or weekend. Repeats have also be seen on BBC One, although less frequently. There was a new series broadcast in the first half of 2005, which finished in July 2005. Several episodes were broadcast, before a gap of about a month, then the rest of the series was shown.
Airport is also shown once a week on the Australian Lifestyle channel, a feature channel on Australia's Foxtel Digital network and also screens on the AUSTAR network. It is also aired on the free-to-air Nine Network.
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 May 1996 | 6 June 1996 | 6 | |
| 2 | 12 June 1997 | 14 August 1997 | 10 | |
| 3 | 19 September 1998 | 28 November 1998 | 10 | |
| 4 | 18 September 1999 | 12 November 1999 | 9 | |
| 5 | 28 March 2000 | 30 May 2000 | 10 | |
| 6 | 9 November 2000 | 22 December 2000 | 6 | |
| 7 | 31 May 2001 | 9 August 2001 | 10 | |
| 8 | 20 June 2002 | 25 July 2002 | 6 | |
| 9 | 28 October 2002 | 20 January 2003 | 10 | |
| 10 | 23 March 2005 | 21 July 2005 | 14 | |
| Return | 14 July 2008 | 24 July 2008 | 5 |
| Date | Entitle | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 December 1998 | Christmas Special | |
| 24 December 1999 | Christmas Special | |
| 6 September 2001 22 November 2001 | Airport: Miami Airport | |
| 27 April 2003 12 June 2003 | Airport USA | |
| 13 November 2003 | Airport Edinburgh |
On 14 July 2008, the BBC broadcast a new 5-part series titled Return to... Airport. The show featured interviews with stars of the original series and behind the scenes recollections from cast members, as well as original series highlights.[3]