A quarter-century after the 9/11 attacks, this feature revisits Operation Yellow Ribbon, the response that saw 38 passenger jets diverted to the small airport at Gander, Newfoundland, when the United States abruptly closed its airspace on 11 September 2001. Fearing further hijackings, President George W Bush ordered all civilian aircraft over the US to land immediately and inbound international flights to turn back or land elsewhere, prompting a mass diversion to Canada's east coast. The episode is remembered as a rare moment of humanity amid the horror of the day, as a town of just 9,600 people opened its doors to thousands of stranded strangers.

Gander, chosen for its proximity to the transatlantic "Great Circle" flight route, ended up hosting nearly 7,000 passengers from 92 countries, including 90 terminally ill children travelling with the Make-A-Wish Foundation aboard the first plane to land. Locals fed, housed and cared for the bewildered travellers for five days until US airspace reopened, a story of generosity that later inspired the hit musical Come From Away, winner of Olivier and Tony awards and seen by more than 50,000 visitors to Gander itself.