When American airspace closed after the September 11 attacks, flights already crossing the Atlantic needed somewhere to land. Canada's Operation Yellow Ribbon brought diverted aircraft to airports across the country, turning an aviation emergency into an urgent effort to care for thousands of strangers.
Gander, Newfoundland, received 38 aircraft. Transport Canada records 6,656 passengers and crew arriving in a community of roughly 10,000 people. The airport could receive the planes; the surrounding communities helped meet the needs of the people on them.
Schools, churches and other community spaces became temporary places to stay. Volunteers helped provide food, bedding and everyday essentials while travelers waited for news and permission to continue their journeys.
The scale was extraordinary, but much of the response consisted of ordinary tasks: preparing meals, finding supplies and making people welcome. Gander's part in the operation became widely remembered because a sudden stop in an unfamiliar place was met with sustained, practical generosity.
The accompanying montage provides historical context; its individual scenes are not all identified as Gander.
Sources: Original social story (saved source caption reviewed) Transport Canada — Four Days in September