Gander’s airport authority said it contacted local hotels and planned for diversions after a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ground stop order began Friday afternoon.
The Story
An airport in Gander, N.L., said it was prepared to receive diverted passengers after flights were grounded for several hours in the United States.
Reg White, chief executive of the Gander airport authority, said he called local hotels for vacancy numbers and made sure a restaurant could stay open if planes were diverted to the town.
White said there was some relief when the so-called ground stop was lifted Friday night without any diversions to Gander, meaning a Christmas craft fair in the airport could go ahead on Saturday as planned.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had a ground stop order in place for more than four hours beginning Friday afternoon, citing communications issues affecting air traffic control centres.
White said he did not brace for an onslaught of planes because there were no flights between Gander and the United States and it was not a peak period for flights between the U.S. and Europe.
← More stories