Total Eclipse 2024

Visitors to North Texas hope inclement weather doesn't eclipse flights home

Local airports treated the total solar eclipse like holiday travel, with people flying in from around the world to experience it

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Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was busy Tuesday but not crazy busy.

Most TSA security lines took under 20 minutes to clear, but as storms passed through the area, more than 80 cancellations and more than 600 flight delays occurred.

"Yep, just a small delay, but no worse than I've had flying out of here any other time," Rebecca Becker from Minneapolis said.

Becker and her family extended their spring break trip to visit her family in Coppell one day.

"We wanted to stay for the eclipse," Becker said. "There's no point in leaving Sunday when the eclipse is Monday, so we stuck around. It was totally worth it!"

Her son Maxwell snapped a photo on his tablet.

"It's really small," Maxwell Becker said, pointing to the eclipse shadow. "It was so awesome!"

Francisco Calderon waited with his wife and brother-in-law for their flight back to Colombia. They flew in on Friday for the total solar eclipse.

"It was a little bit cloudy, so we were worried that we couldn't see anything, and we spent a lot of money and time getting here," Calderon said. "And well, we just got lucky!"

Calderon showed photos of the partial eclipse, totality, and corona that he took through a portable telescope that fits in a backpack-sized case.

"For me, it was close to a spiritual experience," Calderon said. "Totally!"

On Tuesday, Calderon and his family were at DFW to fly 10 hours back home to Colombia.

"We plan to go to the next solar eclipse, at least in a reachable location," Calderon said. "It will be in Morocco."

Calderon's first total solar eclipse won't be his last.

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