Island Reserve
The thread about QF and journalism and Darwin diversions jogged my reminiscing button.
50 odd years ago when I became involved in Ops Control type matters, long haul airlines like BOAC had a minimum fuel policy for island or isolated destinations a long way from anywhere which called for 120 minutes holding in lieu of the 90 minutes which was more common.
'Twas explained to the young Wod that if the aircraft ahead of you going into Bermuda happened to come to a halt, broken, on the single runway, you were going nowhere; next airport up the road was a long way away. However, in two hours the locals could drag the aircraft off the runway, clean up the big bits of debris, and you'd be right.
In my time it happened to (I think) a Britannia in Bermuda. US Marine Corps turned up ,with Caterpillar tractors and wire hawser, moved the aircraft, and the airport re-opened.
Buggered the Britannia, because the wire hawsers sawed into important bits.
Meanwhile, in Darwin, BOAC Comets and QF Connies were using Daly Waters as alternate (I think a Comet went there, and stayed a while waiting for jet fuel).
Came the heavier aircraft, Darwin went to Island Reserve.
When I came South and joined QF, DRW and BDA were still Island Reserve, along, naturally, with Papeete.
Don't remember any crises though, and eventually Tindall got built.
I have no idea if there was any formal requirement for the affected airports to have both the equipment and the waivers to muscle aircraft off the runway.
Any correction or expansion of the above is welcome.