Airport crews have a story to tell after a rare plane landed in Sydney, New York.

Airport workers at Sydney, North Carolina, have a story to tell after a strange-looking plane attracted crowds of spectators over the weekend.

An Airbus Beluga landed at Sydney’s JA Douglas McCurdy Airport on Sunday after being diverted due to weather conditions towards St John’s, where it was due to refuel before flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

Sydney Airport CEO Miles Tuttle said the plane was received very well when it touched down at around 5pm.

“There was a traffic jam all along Grand Lake Road, and the traffic continued to rise all the way to Airport Road,” he said. “I was amazed at the level of public interest… It was pretty cool.”

Tuttle said there are only a handful of aircraft in service, and aviation enthusiasts around the world are following their every move.

He said Sydney Airport had a 7,070-foot-long, 200-foot-wide runway with a surface designed to support the weight, emergency response equipment and personnel, and everything else needed to accommodate a large cargo plane.

“I was very proud that Sydney McCurdy Airport had everything we needed to service this aircraft and we were able to carry out all the necessary training with minimal notice,” the CEO said.

Tuttle said the airport’s response and safe landing of the plane provided an important victory after several difficult years of low traffic due to the pandemic.

“For us, it was a refresher of our skills that proved to some new team members that we can handle this type of activity and just demonstrated to our community that we are capable of handling whatever challenges come our way.”

Tuttle said the plane took off the next morning and the airport received positive feedback from the crew.

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