ATL takes off in ‘City in the Sky’

Hartsfield-Jackson is among the airports featured in PBS documentary, ‘City in the Sky.’ View of ATL’s traffic control tower at twilight on the airfield.

By Anika Robertson
Senior Editor/Assistant Public Relations Manager

This month, TV and online viewers get an inside look into the world’s busiest and most efficient airport. Public Broadcasting System (PBS) is airing a documentary on the aviation industry and ATL’s vital role.

“City in the Sky” is a three-part documentary series that goes behind the scenes to uncover the global networks and complex logistics that allow air travel to soar to new heights. The program is a collaboration between PBS and British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) and will air, in various versions, in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Airside Operations Assistant Manager John Ryan is featured in part three of the documentary.

“I am proud that I was chosen to represent ATL and show what our airside operations division performs on a daily basis to provide a safe and efficient airport, still while maintaining [the] title of world’s busiest airport,” he said.

The Department of Aviation’s Policy and Communications division provided special access to the BBC production crew. Filming took place over the course of eight days during the busiest travel period of the year: the holiday season.

That access offered “City in the Sky” producers a unique look at just how Hartsfield-Jackson managed more than 100 million passengers in a single year. “City in the Sky” also brings viewers to the world’s coldest airport (in Yakutsk, Russia) and the most dangerous airport for landings (Paro Airport in the Himalayas).

“City in the Sky” episode one, “Departure,” premiered Feb. 8 on PBS and Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) stations, and it is also available for viewing at http://www.pbs.org/show/city-sky/. The second segment, “Airborne,” will air Feb. 15 and part three, “Arrival,” will air Feb. 22.