Air travel was already expected to pick up next week because of Spring Break, but Federal Aviation Administration officials said now until mid-April will be increasingly busy due to “the Great North American Eclipse.”
Many Americans are planning on flying on April 8, the day when the U.S. will experience a total solar eclipse that will track across the sky from Texas to Maine. While some eclipse chasers will be heading toward states where the full eclipse can best be seen, others are timing flights in order to view the event in the air.
The eclipse “will likely mean crowded parking lots at airports and long lines at security checkpoints,” Marisa Garcia, a senior contributor at Forbes, told CBS News.
“It’s going to be hectic but fun,” she added. “Go with the mindset that it’s going to be busy and pack light and pack carefully. Be patient and pleasant with everyone.”
Passengers on the day of the eclipse should expect air traffic delays and an usually high number of drones in the skies, FAA Senior Technical Advisor Kevin Morris said in an advisory video.
According to the FAA, these airports could see delays on April 8:
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Chicago
- Indianapolis
- Boston
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Buffalo
- Cleveland
- Toledo, Ohio
- Erie, Pennsylvania
- Memphis
- Austin, Texas
- Dallas
- Houston
- San Antonio, Texas
- Burlington, Vermont
Garcia said American Airlines could see the biggest delays because Dallas-Fort Worth, the airline’s main hub, is squarely within the eclipse’s path of totality, where it can be seen in full.
Officials in Erie, Pennsylvania, said they expect roughly 250,000 people to flock to the area for the eclipse. Meanwhile, tourism for the big event is expected to bring $1 billion in Texas.
