9/11 diversions

[PhatAJ2008]

Any pilots here diverted on 9/11 to an airport that didn't have their airline? How did that work? Knowing which gate to park at? Getting baggage and pax off without any ramp personal?

 

[jwes]

I had to go to St. Kitts, but my airline has it as a destination, we had to stay for 4 days all inclusive. Very sereal, I loved the hotel and the beach, but Im from NY and was watching the TV all the time in awe.

 

[EagleRJ]

I was initially headed to a GA airport with no airline service at all. My crew would have been on our own in dealing with offloading the passengers and their bags, but that was the least of my worries. The standing order from ATC was SCATANA-1, "All aircraft must land immediately".

We had a lot of altitude to lose, and there was an online airport not too much farther away, so ATC approved the destination. There was another diversion that arrived before us, so after waiting for them to deplane, we parked right behind them and shut down. All of the luggage was loaded on baggage carts that were towed out into the middle of the airport infield, where they stayed the night. We joined the passengers crowding around the TV in the terminal, and one of the cellphone calls I was able to make was to a friend that was home from the Navy. We were in agreement that it was time to go and GIT some!