On board Delta subsidiary Atlantic Southeast Airlines' first flight out at 6:05 p.m. were several passengers who had been diverted to Augusta on ASA Flight 4689 from Newburg, N.Y.

In two days of waiting, the handful of unlikely new friends from across the country quickly bonded. They hung out at their hotel, ventured to restaurants and eventually exchanged e-mail addresses to stay in touch.

On Thursday afternoon, as the Federal Aviation Administration slowly opened the nation's air space, the group shared another experience - trying to get home.

While Augusta Regional officials waited for clearance from the FAA, passengers camped out in the terminal and wondered whether they would leave Augusta just to be stuck in Atlanta.

Passengers boarding Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 4529, the first passenger plane out of Augusta since grounding Tuesday, get a thumbs up. CHRIS THELEN/STAFF

''Whatever God's got in store for me, that's what's going to happen,'' said Dan DePonto of Cape Coral, Fla.

Four flights carrying 87 passengers were diverted to Augusta when the FAA ordered all flights grounded Tuesday morning after hijackers used commercial jets to attack New York and Washington.

The first plane to leave Augusta Regional was an empty Comair jet that flew back to Cincinnati about 1:40 p.m. It was hours later before the FAA gave permission for a passenger plane to leave the airport.

Two more ASA flights with passengers took off Thursday, and four planes returned to the airport - some carrying passengers back to Augusta.

ASA officials at Augusta Regional said that while they expected the carrier to operate on a regular schedule today, it was not definite.

Tommy and Anna Fussell, of Matthews, Ga., drove about 30 minutes to Augusta with the hopes of catching a flight Thursday they had booked to Dallas.

They soon learned that although a US Airways Express had returned to the airport earlier, it would not be leaving that day.

Station Manager Paul Fuehrer said the regional carrier was waiting to make sure new security procedures were in place before resuming flights.

Mr. Fuehrer said he expected flights to resume today and added, ''We're ready to get back.''

Reach Vicky Eckenrode at (706) 823-3227 or vicky.eckenrode@augustachronicle.com.