A plane passes during a partial solar eclipse as seen from Queens, New York City, USA, April 8, 2024.
Andrew Kelly Reuter
Monday’s solar eclipse is giving some of the country’s smaller airports a moment of sunshine.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that incoming flights from Burlington, Vermont, to southern Illinois airports were temporarily suspended Monday morning ahead of the total solar eclipse.
Such disruptions are regularly caused by bad weather or traffic jams in big city centers, but on Monday high demand for prime views of the phenomenon crowded several smaller airports. According to NASA, the best view of the solar eclipse in the United States will stretch from Texas, through Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio, to northwestern New York and Maine.
The FAA’s traffic coordination gives airports time to catch up and avoid aircraft parking jams on the ground.
“We had to close the runway to park planes,” Alyssa Connell, Southern Illinois Airport operations manager in Murphysboro, Illinois, told CNBC. The airport, which has three runways, is accepting reservations for Eclipse flights, and reached its capacity on Friday for 230 small propeller planes and about 45 large jets and large turboprops. “This is the most aircraft we’ve ever seen.”
Between 100 and 130 general aviation aircraft are expected to arrive at Vermont’s Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport on Monday, said Dave Carman, deputy director of aviation operations. It is also expected that there will be regular flights by commercial airliners.
“This is the most we’ve seen in one day,” Carman said. “It’s going to be busy going out,” he said.
People gather at the Edge Observation Deck at Hudson Yards before a partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 in New York City.
Spencer Pratt | Getty Images
The eclipse was called a significant event during a morning planning meeting at the FAA’s command center in Warrenton, Virginia, an FAA spokesperson said. Other common obstacles include presidential travel, inclement weather, or major sporting or entertainment events.
The FAA had previously warned pilots about the potential for disruption and traffic congestion at many airports on or near the eclipse’s path.
A passenger wears eclipse glasses and watches from a Delta Air Lines solar eclipse special flight over the United States on April 8, 2024.
leonard benasatreuter
delta airlines has marketed special eclipse flights from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Detroit, and from Austin, Texas, to Detroit, allowing passengers to view the eclipse from the sky. Other airlines are also calling for flights that offer views of the eclipse along the “path of totality.” united airlines He said bookings for San Antonio around the eclipse more than doubled compared to the same time last year, and that Cleveland and Little Rock, Ark., also saw spikes.
The eclipse is expected to be a boon for hotels, rental housing and other businesses as it brings an influx of tourists.
