Canada Border Services Agency apologizes to airline passengers stuck in Gander airport

The Canada Border Services Agency has apologized to the more than 250 passengers aboard a diverted United Airlines flight who were forced to spend 12 hours inside an airport in central Newfoundland after CBSA officers failed to process them. The federal agency issued a statement saying Flight 915 was en route from the Washington, D.C., area to Paris when it was diverted to Gander International Airport at 1 a.m. NT because of a mechanical issue. The agency says crew members aboard the airliner were processed by the CBSA officers on duty. The CBSA said a request was made to clear all passengers, but the request was "not appropriately actioned." As a result, the passengers had to spend the night in the international lounge until another United Airlines aircraft arrived at 2:45 p.m. to take them to their destination. United Airlines issued a brief statement Tuesday saying the Boeing 777-200 aircraft that was diverted to Gander was carrying 268 passengers and 12 crew members.<br/>