International TV series shows how Canada’s biggest airport keeps planes moving 

For aviation and airport enthusiasts and others who enjoy watching in-depth documentaries on TV, Canada’s biggest and busiest airport is the star of a production to be broadcast this fall and winter across the country, in the U.S. and overseas as well.

Filmed over the course of five months, Toronto Airport Uncovered is a 10-part series being shown on National Geographic in the U.S. and U.K. (see trailer below). The first episode aired this past Saturday south of the border and last Thursday evening across the pond in England.

The series, which promises to take viewers on a comprehensive behind-the-scenes tour of Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga, will air in Canada at a later date on The History Channel, Pearson officials said in an online description of the documentary series.

“Toronto Pearson has given behind-the-scenes access to National Geographic and The History Channel Canada for a new documentary series that offers a rare look at the operations at Canada’s busiest and largest airport,” officials added, noting viewers will be whisked on a journey “inside every aspect of Toronto Pearson’s operations, showcasing the innovation, teamwork and precision that keep millions of passengers and thousands of flights moving safely and efficiently around the clock.”

Those at Pearson say each of the 10 episodes “captures a unique look at the people who power Toronto Pearson’s day-to-day operations” as they deal with an array of common — and not so common — situations and circumstances that include record-breaking snowstorms, technical challenges, security operations and baggage matters, to name a few.

“Every day at Toronto Pearson, our teams are solving complex challenges in real time to keep Canada’s busiest airport running efficiently,” said Karen Mazurkewich, vice-president, stakeholder relations and communications, at Toronto Pearson. “This series shines a light on the people behind the scenes, and we’re proud to open our doors to show Canadians, and the world, how precision, coordination and teamwork keep an airport of this size flying smoothly, from check-in to departure.”

In an online description of the documentary, National Geographic says its cameras went “behind the scenes at Toronto Pearson Airport, revealing how they keep passengers and planes moving during the brutal Canadian winter.”

A synopsis of one of the upcoming episodes, titled “Battling the Storm,” reads: “A massive storm hits Toronto International Airport. Crews race to clear snow and move a jackknifed Boeing 787 causing chaos at the departure gates.”

Toronto Pearson’s ability to keep the planes — and passengers — moving safely and as quickly as possible, particularly during bad weather, is the general theme of the documentary series.

And, of course, keeping travellers and their luggage together from one airport to the next is also a crucial part of any airport’s function.