Solar Eclipse Could Cause Mass Chaos at HUNDREDS of Airports for Days in April, FAA Warns

RRC Admin

2 years ago

Air travel could be disrupted from April 7 through April 10, the FAA warned
Airports are set for high traffic during the solar eclipse that could cause delays
READ MORE: Solar eclipse could see widespread cell phone disruptions

(Daily Mail) – An air travel warning has been issued for April’s highly anticipated solar eclipse due to ‘a higher traffic volume than normal anticipated at airports.’

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made the announcement Thursday, saying airports along and near the ‘path of totality’ will likely experience delays and rerouting from April 7 through April 10.

Hundreds of airports from Maine to Texas are under the warning, including America’s busiest facility Dallas-Fort Worth International which sees more than 200,000 travelers each day.

The announcement comes as state officials fear cellular service could be disrupted also due to the influx of visitors – up to 3.7 million people are set to flock to regions set for the ‘Great North America Eclipse.’

‘Aircraft should be prepared for potential airborne holding, reroutes, and/or Expect Departure Clearance Times (EDCTs) that may be issued for all domestic IFR arrivals and departures. Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) are possible,’ reads the FAA announcement.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association reported air traffic during the 2017 solar eclipse in the US saw an increase at airports in range of the path of totality – with St Joseph in Missouri a record increase of 200 percent.

Several airports were forced to issue ground stops due to other locations experiencing high traffic.

Evansville Regional Airport representative Justin Hobgood said in 2017: ‘I came in at 9 a.m. to find the airspace completely filled with aircraft.

‘I thought the filters were malfunctioning.’

A flight controller in Oregon said the increase in traffic was incredible and made for a crazy day – imagery of flights shows hundreds of planes traveling in the skies at once.

And such issues could strike again next month.

The FAA has warned pilots flying in and out of popular airports to prepare for operational changes at any given moment.

These airports include Burlington International Airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Fort Wayne Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Delta Airlines has also acknowledged the higher-than-usual volume and has offered two flights to take tourists near the path of totality.

The first flight sold out in under 24 hours, but the company has added a second out of Dallas-Fort Worth on April 8.

‘Delta flight 1010 will depart from DFW at 12:30 p.m. CT and arrive in Detroit together with the other path-of-totality flight (DL 1218 from AUS to DTW) at 4:20 p.m. ET,’ the company shared on its website.

Delta is also advising travelers to board the flight with protective solar eclipse glasses.

Delta Air Lines lead meteorologist Warren Weston said: ‘The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we’ll see over North America until 2044.

‘This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide.’

As airports prepare for an influx of travelers, states are getting ready for a boom in tourists that could put a strain on local cellular networks causing connection delays and dropped calls.

To ease the burden on many American cities, T-Mobile is deploying additional cell sites that will be on standby in areas expecting high tourist traffic.

In a small Ohio town, which could see an 250,000 visitors, Verizon is setting up a portable tower ahead of the cosmic event.

Rebecca Owens, director of the Richland County Emergency Management Authority (EMA), told the Richland Source: ‘Cell phone (reception) will be very, very sketchy.

‘There will be lots of issues with connectivity and that type of thing.’

A T-Mobile spokesperson said: ‘T-Mobile’s network is ready for the eclipse. Our emergency teams are working with state and local officials across the country to provide additional support where needed for large gatherings.’

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