Gander International Airport - Tourism
It may be hard to imagine that, at one time, the largest airport in the world was located near the eastern tip of the 'Dominion of Newfoundland’.
Opened in 1938 as a convenient refuelling stop for the growing Trans-Atlantic market, it was destined from the beginning to play a pivotal role in history.
After serving as ‘RCAF Station Gander’ during the war, it was officially renamed ‘Gander International Airport’ by the Canadian government after Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949.
Historic details are far too numerous for me to list here but, obviously, it is currently most famous for providing refuge to approximately 7000 passengers and crew on ‘9/11’ and now depicted in the musical ‘Come from Away’ relating the story.
An article by CNN Travel on Gander recently caught my attention. Their story does an excellent job of relating the history along with images and slideshows.
As times change and Gander’s strategic importance diminishes, it is now becoming a popular tourist destination. With the success of the stage play and plans for a feature film, hopefully, people from all over the world will be drawn to this beautiful location with so much honourable history.
There is no doubt that the friendliness and compassion that greeted people during difficult times will still be there to welcome curious tourists.
Additional references:
CNN Travel
Wikipedia – Gander International Airport
Gander Airport Historical Society
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