If you have ever wanted to experience a total solar eclipse from the sky, Delta Air Lines has you covered this April. The airline is offering a special flight from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) on April 8, specifically for umbraphiles to be able to spend as much time as possible directly within the path of totality of the solar eclipse that day.
Delta flight 1218 will be operated on an Airbus A220-300, which will offer premium viewing due to the aircraft’s extra-large windows. The flight will depart from Austin at 12:15 p.m. CDT and land in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. EDT and is timed to give those onboard the best chance of safely viewing the solar eclipse at its peak.
“This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplifies the close teamwork Delta is known for—from selecting an aircraft with larger windows to determining the exact departure time from Austin and the experiences at the gate and in the air,” says Eric Beck, managing director of domestic network planning for Delta Air Lines, in a prepared statement. “Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total solar eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers.”
Even if you aren’t on this special flight, Delta travelers will also have prime solar eclipse-viewing opportunities on five additional routes on April 8; don’t forget your protective viewing glasses if you are on these flights:
- DL 5699, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)-Westchester County Airport (HPN), 2:59 p.m. EST departure, Embraer ERJ-175
- DL 924, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)-Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), 8:40 a.m. PST departure, Airbus A320
- DL 2869, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)-San Antonio International Airport (SAT), 9:00 a.m. PST departure, Airbus A319
- DL 1001, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)-San Antonio International Airport (SAT), 10:08 a.m. MST departure, Airbus A220-300
- DL 1683, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)-Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), 9:55 a.m. MST departure, Airbus A320
“The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we will see over North America until 2044,” says Warren Weston, Delta Air Lines’ lead meteorologist. “This solar eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide.”
On Feb. 26, Delta added a second path-of-totality flight, from Dallas-Fort Worth to Detroit, Delta flight 1010, which departs at 12:30 p.m. CDT and arrives at 4:20 p.m. EDT.
