General view of the sunset on the boardwalk before the solar eclipse on April 7, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico.
Hector Vivas | Getty Images
Monday’s solar eclipse will give some of the country’s smaller airports a moment in the sun.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that incoming flights at airports from Burlington, Vermont, to southern Illinois were briefly stopped Monday morning ahead of the total solar eclipse.
Such disruptions are regularly caused by bad weather and heavy traffic in major city hubs, but high demand for prime views of the phenomenon blocked some smaller airports on Monday. The best views of the solar eclipse in the United States stretch from Texas through Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio to northwestern New York and Maine, according to NASA.
A ground stop halts arrivals at an airport, giving a facility time to catch up and avoid aircraft parking congestion on the ground.
“We had to close the runway to park planes,” Alyssa Connell, operations manager at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Illinois, told CNBC. The airport began accepting reservations for Eclipse flights and reached its maximum number of 230 small propeller planes and about 45 larger jets and larger turboprops on Friday. “This is by far the most aircraft we have ever seen.”
Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont is expected to receive between 100 and 130 general aviation aircraft on Monday, said Dave Carman, deputy director of aviation operations. Some scheduled commercial passenger aircraft service is also expected.
“That’s the most we’ve seen in one day,” he said. “It’s going to be hectic getting out,” he said.
People gather on the Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards ahead of a partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 in New York City.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
The eclipse was designated a major event at the FAA’s morning planning meeting at its command center in Warrenton, Virginia, according to an FAA spokeswoman. Other common obstacles include presidential travel, severe weather or major sporting and entertainment events.
The FAA had previously warned pilots of possible disruptions and heavy traffic at numerous airports on or near the eclipse.
Delta Airlines sold special eclipse flights where passengers could view them from the sky, one from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Detroit and another from Austin to Detroit. Other airlines have announced flights that could offer a view of the solar eclipse along the “path of totality.”
The eclipse is expected to be a boon for hotels, home rentals and other businesses as tourists flock in.
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2024-04-08 16:52:01
www.cnbc.com
