“I thought it was an advertisement for a movie or something,” he said slowly. “I didn’t think it could be real.”

Massport opened the Exchange Center on the Boston Fish Pier and outfitted the space with cots and food to help passengers like Muller, who were unable to find accomodations in the city’s overbooked hotels for the night.

About 50 would-be travelers spent the day at the makeshift center.

Massport also opened a family assistance center at the airport’s Hilton Hotel in conjunction with the airlines and American Red Cross. The center offered counseling to victims’ families.

At about 2 p.m. yesterday, police cars and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) trucks lined the entrance to the Hilton, while about a dozen state police officers guarded the doors.

“Our top priority right now is the families and the needs of these families,” said Massport Director of Public Safety Joseph Lawless. “We need to provide for the needs of the families and make sure we have a safe, secure airport.”

Nearly 50 reporters crowded into the lushly carpeted Grand Ballroom of the nearby Hyatt—turned into a media center—to await statements from Massport officials, trading notes and speculation as television reports played in the background.

At about 2:30 p.m., Lawless approached the podium, appearing worn and fatigued as he prepared for his brief address. He gave few specific answers, instead deferring to the ongoing FBI investigation.