In the golden age of propeller aviation, every commercial flight crossing the Atlantic had to make a scheduled stop at Gander (YQX) in Newfoundland, Canada, or Shannon (EINN) in Ireland. Known as the "Crossroads of the World," Gander was the vital gas station linking the Old World and the New. While modern widebody jets cruise directly overhead today, these airports remain essential to global aviation infrastructure.

The Blue Spruce Routes

Not every aircraft crossing the ocean is a massive long-haul airliner. Smaller aircraft-such as regional jets (Embraer E175s), business jets, or smaller single-aisle planes being delivered from a factory in Europe-lack the fuel capacity for a nonstop crossing.

Pilots fly these aircraft along the Blue Spruce Routes: a carefully plotted chain of airports that keeps the aircraft within range of land at all times. A typical delivery route might go from the factory to Scotland, hop to Keflavik (Iceland), jump to Narsarsuaq (Greenland), cross to Goose Bay or Gander (Canada), and finally down to the US mainland. Even a Boeing 737 MAX might utilize these stops if its range is restricted by heavy payload.

Tech Stops and ETOPS Alternates

Even major commercial airliners occasionally need these airports. If a narrowbody jet like an Airbus A321neo encounters unexpectedly severe headwinds flying westbound, the pilots may calculate they will burn through their legal fuel reserves before reaching New York. They will legally and safely divert to Gander for a "tech stop"-a quick pause to take on fuel before continuing.

Furthermore, to maintain their ETOPS certification, airlines must nominate diversion airports along their oceanic route. Gander and Shannon are the anchors that make modern oceanic routing legally and safely possible. Their legacy is perhaps best remembered during Operation Yellow Ribbon on 9/11, when Gander alone took in 38 widebody aircraft and 6,700 passengers when North American airspace was closed.