Delta Air Lines will offer special flights for astronomy enthusiasts interested in seeing the total solar eclipse on April 8. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth, meaning the Sun cannot be seen from certain areas on Earth. The upcoming total solar eclipse can be seen across Mexico, the continental U.S., and certain regions of eastern Canada. This year's eclipse may be the last total solar eclipse many Americans, especially those in older generations, will see since the next one is not until August 23, 2044.

Delta Air Lines will offer two flights that will follow the path of totality, traced on the Earth's surface by the moon's shadow. The path of totality for this year's eclipse will cross 13 U.S. states across the South, Midwest, and Northeast. Major cities with the best eclipse view include Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Indianapolis, and Cleveland. Delta will operate two special flights from Austin (AUS) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to its Detroit (DTW) hub on April 8.

The Flight from Austin

Delta flight DL 1218 will depart from Austin at 12:15 p.m. Central Time (CT) and arrive in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). DL 1218 will use an Airbus A220-300, which offers premium views due to the aircraft's large windows. The peak times for viewing the solar eclipse across the U.S. are in the afternoon. 

Eric Beck, Delta's Managing Director of Domestic Network Planning, said about the Austin route:

"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. Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers."

The Flight from Dallas/Fort Worth

Delta flight DL 1010 will leave Dallas/Fort Worth at 12:30 p.m. CT and land in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET. DL 1010 will use an Airbus A321neo to account for more passengers who may fly from DFW. Delta's A321neos can accommodate 132 passengers in Main Cabin, 42 in Delta Comfort+, and 20 in First Class. The flight leaves 15 minutes later than Delta's Austin service to account for distance and ensure that passengers have the best view of the total solar eclipse. Delta added flights from DFW after witnessing a 1500% increase in searches for the Austin-Detroit route.

Other Flights

Astronomy enthusiasts in states other than Texas will also have opportunities to witness the solar eclipse on a flight. Delta highlighted five routes on April 8 that will offer prime viewing opportunities. Meanwhile, passengers interested in seeing the eclipse from the ground can fly to multiple destinations on Delta. These destinations include San Antonio (SAT) and Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT). 

These five routes will fly over states that the total solar eclipse's path will go over:

• DL 5699: Detroit (DTW) to Westchester County, New York (HPN). The flight leaves at 2:59 p.m. ET on an Embraer 175.
• DL 924: Los Angeles (LAX) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW). The flight departs at 8:40 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on an Airbus A320.
• DL 2869: LAX to SAT. The flight leaves at 9:00 a.m. PT on an Airbus A319.
• DL 1001: Salt Lake City (SLC) to SAT. The flight departs at 10:08 a.m. Mountain Time (MT) on an Airbus A220-300.
• DL 1683: SLC to Austin (AUS). The flight leaves at 9:55 a.m. MT on an Airbus A320.

Warren Weston, Delta's Lead Meteorologist, said about the importance of this year's total eclipse to astronomy enthusiasts:

"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."