Eclipse flights swarm airports: ‘We had to close the runway to park planes’
An
airplane
passes
during
a
partial
solar
eclipse
seen
from
Queens,
New
York
City,
U.S.,
April
8,
2024.
Andrew
Kelly
|
Reuters
Monday’s
solar
eclipse
is
giving
some
of
the
country’s
smaller
airports
their
moment
in
the
sun.
The
Federal
Aviation
Administration
reported
arriving
flights
at
airports
from
Burlington,
Vermont,
to
southern
Illinois
were
briefly
halted
Monday
morning
ahead
of
the
total
eclipse.
Such
disruptions
are
routinely
caused
by
bad
weather
and
heavy
traffic
in
big-city
hubs,
but
high
demand
for
prime
views
of
the
phenomenon
jammed
some
smaller
airports
on
Monday.
The
best
views
of
the
solar
eclipse
in
the
U.S.
span
from
Texas
through
Illinois,
Kentucky
and
Ohio
to
northwestern
New
York
and
Maine,
according
to
NASA.
Passengers
and
crew
take
a
photo
wearing
solar
eclipse
glasses
aboard
Southwest
flight
1252
from
Dallas,
Texas
to
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
which
passed
through
the
path
of
totality
on
April
08,
2024
in
Dallas,
Texas.
Justin
Sullivan
|
Getty
Images
FAA
traffic
adjustments
give
airports
time
to
catch
up
and
avoid
airplane
parking
jams
on
the
ground.
“We
had
to
close
the
runway
to
park
planes,”
Alyssa
Connell,
head
of
operations
at
Southern
Illinois
Airport in
Murphysboro,
Illinois,
told
CNBC.
The
airport,
which
has
three
runways,
took
reservations
for
eclipse
flights
and
on
Friday
reached
its
maximum
threshold
for
230
small
propeller
aircraft
and
about
45
larger
jets
and larger
turboprops. “This
is
by
far
the
most
aircraft
we’ve
ever
seen.”
The
Statue
of
Liberty
is
seen
during
a
partial
solar
eclipse,
where
the
moon
partially
blocks
out
the
sun,
at
Liberty
Island
in
New
York
City,
U.S.,
April
8,
2024.
David
Dee
Delgado
|
Reuters
Patrick
Leahy
Burlington
International
Airport
in
Vermont
is
scheduled
to
receive
between
100
and
130
general
aviation
planes
on
Monday,
said
Dave
Carman,
deputy
director
of
aviation
operations.
It’s
also
expecting
some
scheduled
commercial
passenger
jet
traffic.
“It’s
the
most
we’ve
seen
in
a
day,”
Carman
said. “It’s
going
to
be
hectic
getting
out,”
he
said.
A
Southwest
flight
attendant
wears
solar
eclipse
glasses
while
giving
a
safety
demonstration
aboard
Southwest
flight
1252
from
Dallas,
Texas
to
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
which
passed
through
the
path
of
totality
on
April
08,
2024
in
Dallas,
Texas.
Justin
Sullivan
|
Getty
Images
The
eclipse
was
called
out
as
a
major
event
on
the
FAA’s
morning
planning
call
at
its
command
center
in
Warrenton,
Virginia,
according
to
an
agency
spokeswoman.
Other
common
obstacles
include
presidential
travel,
severe
weather
or
major
sports
and
entertainment
events.
The
FAA
had
previously warned
pilots about
possible
disruptions
and
heavy
traffic
at
a
host
of
airports
on
or
near
the
eclipse’s
path.
Delta
Air
Lines
sold
special
eclipse
flights
during
which
passengers
could
view
it
from
the
sky,
one
from
Dallas/Fort
Worth
International
Airport
to
Detroit
and
another
from
Austin,
Texas,
to
Detroit.
A
passenger
wears
solar
eclipse
glasses
as
she
looks
from
a
special
Delta
Airlines
eclipse
flight
over
the
skies
of
the
U.S.,
April
8,
2024.
Leonardo
Benassatto
|
Reuters
Other
airlines
have
called
out
flights
that
could
offer
views
of
the
eclipse
along
the “path
of
totality.”
United
Airlines
said
bookings
to
San
Antonio
more
than
doubled
around
the
eclipse
compared
with
the
same
dates
last
year
and
surged
in
Cleveland
and
Little
Rock,
Arkansas.
The
eclipse
is
expected
to
be
a
boon
for
hotels,
house
rentals
and
other
businesses
as
tourists
swarm
in.
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