The festive season resembles the nightmare before Christmas as Jean-Marie Lavillard deals with a string of emergencies. Meanwhile, passengers have just discovered that their flight may not be leaving; and an aircraft has been mislaid somewhere between Kiev and London.

It is night-time, but the work is far from over as staff deal with the usual passenger panics and prepare for the arrival of VIPs Michael Jackson and the Sultan of Brunei.

In the first edition, Heathrow is brought to a standstill by fog, Michele Harris is assessed for the job of terminal duty officer and a missing flute causes chaos for Aeroflot supervisor Jeremy Spake as the Moscow Symphony Orchestra prepares to fly home.