Inside the airport Thursday morning, the mood was somber as stranded passengers milled around waiting for flights to resume.
They sidestepped camera crews and stared out the terminal’s windows at the Potomac River, where recovery efforts were barely visible in the distance. Officials had announced earlier that they didn’t expect to find any survivors.
“This is an inconvenience for us, but that ain’t nothing compared to what those families are going through,” said Chris Adams, whose flight back home to Texas was delayed several hours. “Life’s just too short.”
Aster Andemicael had been at the airport since Wednesday evening with her elderly father, who was flying to Indiana to visit family. She said she spent much of the long night thinking about the victims and their families.
“I’ve been crying since yesterday,” she said, her voice choking up.