Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Canada launched Operation Yellow Ribbon, which remains one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in aviation history. According to official Nav Canada and Transport Canada records, between 224 and 239 aircraft were diverted to 17 different airports across the country after U.S. airspace was closed. These planes carried more than 33,000 passengers (some estimates go as high as 45,000 when including crew). The small town of Gander, Newfoundland, became the symbol of this operation, taking in 38 wide-body aircraft and over 6,600 people—effectively nearly doubling the town's population in a matter of hours. Other major hubs included Halifax (47 planes), Vancouver (34 planes), and St. John's (21 planes). The operation lasted for several days as the diverted passengers—known as the "Plane People"—were housed, fed, and cared for by local Canadian citizens until the skies were deemed safe to fly again.