coast to coast would also receive the diverted flights. As the operation progressed, SitCen staff maintained contact with the affected airports, Collenette, and his deputy, Margaret Bloodworth. Atlantic flights The operation was a challenge for airports in Atlantic Canada. Transport Canada asked Nav Canada to instruct flights coming from Europe to avoid Macdonald–Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, and Dorval International Airport in Montreal as a security measure, since they are among the major—and therefore busiest—airports in Central Canada. The majority of incoming flights from Europe were received by Atlantic airports, though some diverted flights did land at Dorval and Pearson. Gander International Airport, which was the first North American airport on the transatlantic route, took in 38 wide-body aircraft, mostly heading for U.S. destinations. The number of passengers and crew accommodated at Gander was about 6,600. The population of Gander at the time was fewer than 10,000 people. Jean Chrétien, then-Canadian Prime Minister, stated that there were more people at the airport than in the town. Halifax International Airport handled 40 flights in a similar manner. St. John's International Airport, Greater Moncton International Airport, CFB Goose Bay and Stephenville International Airport handled the remainder of the transatlantic flights. Pacific flights Most flights coming from Asia and the Pacific to destinations on the West Coast of the United States and points beyond had no choice but to land at Vancouver International Airport, as it was the only major Canadian airport on the West Coast capable of handling the large aircraft used for transpacific flights. Thirty-four flights carrying 8,500 passengers landed in Vancouver, British Columbia. Military involvement There were also several incidents in which the military escorted jets into Canadian airspace. The joint U.S.–Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command used Canadian Forces Air Command and United States Air Force fighter jet aircraft to intercept and escort civilian passenger flights to Whitehorse International Airport in Yukon. One of the intercepted flights was Korean Air Flight 85 destined for John F. Kennedy International Airport with a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, that was believed to have been hijacked. Concerns about the plane being crashed into Anchorage led several buildings in the city to be evacuated. Several buildings were also evacuated in Whitehorse as a precaution. The flight ended up running low on fuel, and according to a public affairs official at the airport, there was also a communication