In the tight-knit, small town of Gander, Newfoundland, Mayor Claude and the rest of the townsfolk of Gander - teachers, bus drivers, police, journalists, animal shelter workers -  introduce the audience to their community (“Welcome to The Rock”). As the Newfoundlanders go about their day, news breaks through town from Bonnie Harris of the SPCA to Oz Fudge, head of the two-person Gander police department, through Tim Horton’s to Bonnie’s husband, Doug, who heads down to air traffic control. The U.S airspace has closed due to the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks, and almost 7,000 people have been diverted to the small town of Gander (“38 Planes”).  

As the planes begin to land, Claude and the town’s staff scramble to provide resources for their unexpected guests, negotiate with bus drivers who are on strike, and send out urgent requests for supplies through Janice, on her first day as a reporter at Rogers TV, the local station (“Blankets and Bedding”). As Gander prepares, the passengers are held on board, with no explanation given for the diversion for up to 28 hours. Nick worries about his work in England, but meets Diane, from Texas, who is worried about someone also flying that day. On another plane, Kevin T.  and his boyfriend Kevin J. deal with their frustration by drinking, and on another, Bob worries that it’s World War III. On some planes, parties break out, but on many, for those who have heard the news, they mourn and are fearful. Still onboard, Captain Beverley Bass finally reaches her husband and learns that a friend of hers has died in the attacks. She holds it together for her passengers, but is shaken (“28 Hours/Wherever We Are”).

In town, it’s chaotic; Claude and his staff deal with housing the stranded passengers, suspected bomb threats, animals stranded in the planes’ cargo holds, and the school bus strike, which must be resolved in order to transport the passengers to the makeshift shelters. Late at night, with Doug’s help, Bonnie forces her way onto the planes and discovers 19 animals, including 2 rare bonobo chimpanzees. Meanwhile, the bus drivers finally leave the picket line, and “The Plane People” are shuttled to local schools, churches, and halls, except for an Egyptian passenger, Ali, who is temporarily detained. As they drive into town, the bus drivers tell the passengers about where they’ve landed and navigate language barriers ("Darkness & Trees").  

The passengers are directed to food, fresh clothes, beds, and anything else they might need. They are exhausted, frustrated, and frightened as they learn about why they were grounded and see images on the news for the first time (“Lead Us Out of the Darkness”). Phones are set up, crisis counselors arrive to help facilitate calls, and the passengers finally reach their families, including Diane, who is relieved to find out that her son, whom she had been worried about, is alive ("Phoning Home").

Trying to cope and adjust to various time zones, the town of Gander barely sleeps that night. In the morning, the passengers wake up in gyms, classrooms, and church halls -  confused where they are and still reeling from the news. They are offered food and clothes from Gander residents and local shops. Beulah, a mother of a local firefighter, reaches out to Hannah, who’s still waiting to hear about her firefighter son in New York. Meanwhile, Beverley tells her passengers they may be in Newfoundland for some time. Feeling restless, Diane decides to go for a walk. Kevin also wants to see where they are, though his boyfriend refuses to leave (“Costume Party”). 

The Newfoundlanders start taking the bewildered strangers back to their homes for showers, laundry, meals, and eventually to stay the night. Bob, a passenger from New York, is nervous, though he eventually stays with Derm, the Mayor of Appleton. As the passengers grow more anxious to leave, Oz tells them it would be about two or three days to travel back to the US without access to planes. Kevin T. and Kevin J. go for a walk with Nick and Diane, who realize they aren’t married. Eventually, the Kevins find a bar, where they are worried about experiencing homophobia, but instead realize they’ve landed in “the gayest town in Newfoundland.”

Claude and the town face unending challenges, including finding ways to keep tons of donated food from going bad on the local ice rink and dealing with many passengers who don’t speak English. On the planes, Bonnie and Doug begin to argue, as they are unable to adequately take care of the animals, including the female bonobo, who is pregnant. At the TV station, Janice tries to stay professional, but finds herself struggling under the weight of the situation.

Meanwhile, Bob is asked to set up a community cookout by borrowing grills from the residents of Gander, and instead of getting shot, the locals help him. When the bathrooms need to be sanitized, a group of cardiologists volunteers, and as Hannah tries fruitlessly to reach her son, Beulah comforts her by telling her jokes (“I am Here”). Passengers and Gander residents gather for the national moment of silence in America, and throughout town, they all exchange hymns, stories, and prayers (“Prayer”).

Health Canada lets the animals off the planes to quarantine at Hangar One, but Bonnie worries about the pregnant chimp, Unga, who suddenly goes into labor. The passengers are agitated from spending their days crammed inside with nothing to do but watch the news; fights begin to break out, and Ali experiences islamophobia (“On The Edge”). To alleviate tensions, Claude and Oz assemble passengers at the Legion, where they swim in the river, enjoy local music, sing karaoke, and even get initiated as honorary Newfoundlanders, where Bob, Kevin T, Diane, and Nick take shots and kiss a codfish - except for Diane, who kisses Nick (“Screech In”).

Meanwhile, Beverley remains near the phone, reflecting on her experience being the first female pilot for American Airlines, and how her one love in life, flying, has been irreparably changed - until she suddenly receives word that planes are cleared to fly again (“Me and the Sky”). 

Nick wakes Diane up with the news, though she barely remembers their kiss. She invites Nick to Texas, but he has to return immediately to England. Meanwhile, Kevin J tells Kevin T that he tried to change his flight to his home in New York, rather than LA, where the Kevins lived together. The passengers and townsfolk say their goodbyes. At the airport, there is increased security, and Ali is strip-searched due to biased suspicions as Beverley watches. Many of the flights must return to their departure location, and some passengers try to vote on their destination, until Beverley shuts it down. Finally, the flights home are delayed further due to a plane with a flat tire that is blocking the runway. Diane and Nick decide to make the most of the situation and visit a beautiful lookout, wishing they could stay together (“Stop the World”).

Down at the hangar, Bonnie says goodbye to each animal that she’s become attached to, telling Unga, the female bonobo, that she’s sorry Unga lost her baby. A storm is coming in, threatening further delays, but finally they’re all able to leave. On the plane home, Nick and Diane finally kiss, and Bob passes a hat to start a charity for the people of Newfoundland (“38 Planes (Reprise)/”Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere”).

Kevin T. and Kevin J. break up as Nick and Diane find long distance a challenge. Beverly returns to work at an empty airport, Bob struggles being back in New York, and Hannah learns her son has died. Back in Newfoundland, the townspeople clean up, and even though things go back to normal, the town now feels different - emptier. After barely sleeping for five days, Claude returns home and finally allows himself to cry. (“Something’s Missing”). As Town Hall returns to normal, they discover the suggestion box is filled with money from the passengers, and over the next 10 years, more donations begin to pour in from around the world.

On the tenth anniversary, countless passengers return to Gander and speak to journalists. Beulah and Hannah reunite, Nick and Diane got married; Unga, the rare bonobo chimpanzee, had another baby, which was named Gander by the Columbus Zoo; and Beverly brought her family back on her retirement flight. As Claude and the town welcome a piece of the WTC steel, everyone reunites to commemorate what was lost, but to remember what they found (“Finale”).