YAOS APPEAL TO FIND PASSENGERS WHO WERE STRANDED AT GANDER AIRPORT IN NEWFOUNDLAND, FOLLOWING THE TERROR ATTACKS OF 9/11

The latest production by YAOS, ‘Come From Away’, is a stage musical based on the real events when 38 airliners carrying 7,000 passengers were instructed to urgently divert and land at Gander Airport in Newfoundland, Canada.

YAOS is anxious to make contact with anyone involved, who can give us their own first-hand account of what happened and how this relates to the storyline of ‘Come From Away’.

It has been estimated that a significant portion of the 7,000 passengers who landed at Gander on 11 September 2001 were from UK airports. We, therefore, have reason to believe there were a number of people from the South Somerset and North Dorset area who were caught up in this incredible episode.

These were ordinary people who suddenly found themselves not only at the wrong airport in an isolated part of Canada, but unable to continue their journey for an indefinite length of time. The unexpected influx of “come from aways” to the small town, whose population was then about 10,000, was managed through a huge community effort that involved housing, feeding and even entertaining the stranded travellers for nearly a week.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers:

     Number of Aircraft: 38 
     Total Passengers and Crew: Around 6,500 to 7,000 people 
     Context: The planes were forced to divert to Gander because of the grounding of all flights in North American airspace following the 9/11 terrorist attacks 

The story of Gander's response to the crisis inspired the Broadway musical ‘Come From Away’ and is a well-known example of the community's compassion and resilience.

YAOS is appealing to anyone involved (or knows of someone) to please get in touch, so that we can hear their story and meet the cast of ‘Come From Away’. You can message us using the Contact Us link on the YAOS Website.

The YAOS production of ‘Come From Away’ will take place at the Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil from 14-18 October 2025.

YAOS is a Registered Charity No. 272621, located at Edwards House, 14 Buckland Road, Yeovil, BA21 5EA.

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