Gander International Airport Blog

Gander International Airport has received a surge in traffic as the global humanitarian efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti continue in force.

The airport is scheduled to see dozens more aircraft chartered by international relief bodies, stopping for fuel en route to Port-Au-Prince as passenger and cargo aircraft from Russia, Norway, Switzerland, France and the Ukraine carry rescue workers, medicines, food and other relief supplies. The ramp has been busy with all sorts of aircraft, but particularly the versatile IL-76 and An12, regarded as capable workhorses for humanitarian operations.

Dion Faulkner, General Manager of Allied Aviation, the ground handling at Gander, said their office has “been inundated with requests for technical stop set-ups. We’re trying to get these aircraft serviced, refueled and back in the air as fast as possible to expedite the relief effort.”

It is not unusual for Gander to see a spike in international landings during natural disasters or times of political strife. When the world is called upon to respond collectively to disasters in the Caribbean, South America or even overseas, we generally accommodate an unusual level of traffic. We saw the same thing immediately after Hurricane Jeanne.

The situation in Haiti, between the casualties and the estimated 2 million people still in need of emergency supplies, is heart wrenching.