Hundreds of airports in the path of the upcoming solar eclipse next month are likely to be impacted, the Federal Aviation Authority has said.
The FAA added that affected airports, which include some of the nation’s busiest, are likely to be busy due to “special air traffic procedures” taking place during the total solar eclipse. The eclipse takes place over more than 10 states, starting in Texas and ending in Maine, over the course of just a few hours on April 8 next month.
A total solar eclipse is a rare astronomical event in which the skies briefly turn dark during daylight hours due to the moon and sun crossing paths, with the moon briefly blocking the sun’s path of light toward Earth. The last solar eclipse in the U.S. took place in 2017, but next month’s event is particularly special given that the next total eclipse will not take place for another 20 years, due in August 2044.
The bulletin issued by the FAA warns of “possible impacts to air traffic and airports along the eclipse path” between April 7 and 10. These will not be due to the temporary darkness the eclipse will bring along its path, but instead because of higher-than-average air-traffic volumes.
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Delta Airlines is running path-of-totality flights to allow people to spend “as much time as possible” in the eclipse at 30,000 feet in the air. Those lucky enough to snag a ticket will be rewarded with “especially premium viewing due to the aircraft’s extra-large window” on board an A220-300 taking off from Austin, Texas, and heading to Detroit, Michigan.
The airline is also running additional flights to airports in the solar eclipse path in time for April 8 so astronomy enthusiasts can witness the rare event.
Major transport hubs, including the country’s second-largest airport Dallas-Fort Worth International, Indianapolis International, Burlington International, and Cleveland International, are among those covered by the FAA bulletin.
The government agency said any aircraft due for flight during the period should prepare for rerouting and airborne holding. The FFA added that aircraft departing airports along the eclipse path should coordinate departure times “as early as possible” to reduce congestion. Airline staff and passengers should also “anticipate delays during peak” travel hours.
The full trajectory map of the eclipse shows that it will cross 12 U.S. states on April 8. Starting in Texas at around 1:30 p.m. CDT, the eclipse will occur in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and finally in Maine at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan may also experience the total solar eclipse.
Following its path over the U.S., the eclipse will enter Canada and exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland.
During a similar solar eclipse in 2017, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association reported a 23 to 36 percent surge in activity across aviation control centers that were in the path of totality.
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