summary
- Travelers on an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to London experienced an unexpected delay and diversion to Gander, Canada, after a passenger became ill.
- Gander had a history of dealing with converted aircraft and played a key role in Operation Yellow Ribbon.
- After the diversion, the passengers waited in Gander for most of the day before finally departing for Philadelphia and taking an alternative flight the next morning to their final destination in London.
Travelers on an American Airlines flight between Philadelphia and London, England, had to make an unexpected stop in Newfoundland, Canada, after a passenger became ill.
Flight AA728 departed from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) nearly three hours later than its scheduled departure time, and when the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which was crossing the Atlantic, made a U-turn and arrived at its destination. Emotions were already running high among the passengers. Ensure the safety of sick passengers before landing at Gander International Airport (YQX).
Photo: Kevin Hackert/Shutterstock
As the aircraft had not reached halfway across the Atlantic Ocean, the pilot decided to turn back for the passengers to seek further medical advice.
More delays in Gander
Mr. Gander is no stranger to aircraft repurposing and played a major role in Operation Yellow Ribbon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The operation diverted 38 aircraft to Gander while U.S. airspace was closed, leaving 7,000 passengers stranded and at their mercy. gander community.
AA728 was originally scheduled to depart Philadelphia at 23:08 on 31 August and finally fly at 02:07 the next morning. The flight continued on its scheduled flight path for the first four and a half hours, but a medical incident forced the pilot to make a U-turn and head to the nearest hospital.
After turning around, the plane flew two hours later, just before 9 a.m., to Gander in Newfoundland, Canada, where the passengers were able to seek medical advice.
The health status of the affected passengers remains unknown, but other travelers on the flight said they were given only marginal seats and no food or water for the first three hours on the ground. claims.
A day at Gander Airport
To make matters worse, it was decided that the flight would return to Philadelphia rather than its original destination, London Heathrow Airport, leaving passengers waiting in Gander for most of the day before finally arriving at around 20:00 local time. I left at 24:00 and returned home. 9:23pm to City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia).
Photo: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
According to data from Flightradar24.com, an alternative flight was operated for the passengers the next morning, operating on flight AA9603. The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 07:00 on September 2nd, but ultimately departed at 08:01. The plane landed at its final destination, London Heathrow Airport, at 8:02 p.m. This service was operated by the same Dreamliner that visited Gander the day before.
The six-year-old 787-9 Dreamliner that facilitated the service and eventual replacement flight to Gander was first delivered to American Airlines in December 2016 and has registration number N825AA and serial number 40644.
source: Flightradar24.com