I'm guessing that the writers are trying to push the timeline ahead in order to coincide with the start of season 6, so that it would coincide with real time like the pilot episode did (September 22nd, 2004).

So the fact that it's looking like the airport scene happens in the "future" (i.e. actually after the date the episode aired) is just a set-up for it being the "present" (same air date as say the start of season 6 (roughly January XX, 2010).

Makes sense?

__________________
Abaddon