Southwest will plan some flights to provide a perfect view of the event.
A Southwest 737-800 on final approach to Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
On, Saturday millions of people around North and South America and the Caribbean were treated to one of the most spectacular astronomical phenomena freely visible from Earth: during the early hours of the morning, the Moon transited between the Earth and the Sun, causing an eclipse. Due to the peculiar distance between the Earth and the Moon, the phenomenon observed was a so-called “annular eclipse.” This was because the Moon did not cover the Sun entirely, but a “ring of fire” was visible as the black shadows as our satellite was passing in front of the Sun.
An eclipse occurs on average once every 18 months, but it is only visible from very small areas of the world, and most of the time these areas are very isolated or sparsely populated. Therefore, it is extremely rare that, within a six-month timespan, densely populated areas in North America will be able to observe an eclipse twice. In fact, on April 8, 2024, another total eclipse will be visible around the middle of the day, and the “path of totality” (the areas that will turn completely dark) will include many large cities in the United States and Canada, such as San Antonio, Texas, which itself was also located within the path of totality for the annular eclipse that occurred last Saturday. Other urban areas that will go dark on April 8 include Austin and Dallas in Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal, Quebec.
The path of totality for the eclipse on April 8, 2024 (Photo: timeanddate.com)
For this reason, this eclipse has already being christened “The Great American Eclipse.”
For this occasion, Southwest Airlines has communicated a list of the flights it will be operating on April 8 that will provide the best vantage point to observe the eclipse.
“Our Meteorology and Network Planning Teams identified the best opportunities for a potential view of this breathtaking sight,” said David Dillahunt, Chief Meteorologist at Southwest Airlines in a press release. “With our flight schedule, we’re able to offer hundreds of seats in the sky to view the eclipse, and we look forward to showcasing our Hospitality on this day while celebrating with our customers.”
“Network and Schedule Planners modeled the operational day against projections of the umbra and penumbra—shadows cast by the moon’s eclipse of the sun,” continues the press release. The Southwest Airlines flights listed below have the greatest likelihood of offering Customers onboard the best view of this moment:
These flights may also cross the path of totality during their scheduled operating time:
Receive a daily dose of the airline industry's top stories along with market insights right in your inbox.
In a landmark decision that it says bolsters passenger protections, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled a comprehensive set…
JetBlue has announced the introduction of a new inflight entertainment platform. Known as “Blueprint by JetBlue,” the system will have…
Hawaiian Airlines says it expects to return all 18 of its Airbus A321neo aircraft to revenue service in the coming…
