North Texas is preparing for the excitement and influx of people over the next 72 hours. TxDOT has a plan, hotels are filling up, and airports are bracing for heavy foot traffic.
NBC 5 spoke to eager travelers landing at Love Field Airport on Friday afternoon, ready for the big show in the sky.
Fresh off the plane, Grace Bass already had eclipse glasses for herself and her family within reach.
“My sister was like, ‘Can you make sure to grab them?’ I already have them ready,” she said.
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Bass, a Dallas native, is one of thousands expected to touch down over the next 72 hours just in time for the total solar eclipse.
Richard Rogers also landed at Love Field Friday evening, preparing to execute his plan for Monday…
“I am really excited about this,” he said. “One of the cool things I’m thinking about doing, if I can talk to my wife and get permission, is going to the golf course and, the course is having a special tee time during the eclipse, you’re playing during the eclipse.”
Solar Eclipse 2024
Love Field and DFW airports expect activity at terminals to gradually increase through Saturday and Sunday. Dallas’ Aviation Director said it’s an opportunity to make a great first impression.
“We recognize that we’re a gateway and it may be the first place that folks visiting the area are coming into. So we’re making sure to put in our best effort,” said Patrick Carreno Director of Aviation for Dallas.
Visit Dallas, a tourism organization, says 90% of the city’s 35,000 hotel rooms are booked. Car rental companies have prepared for a spike in business as well. The car rental agencies at DFW Airport are predicting to break records for the April 8 event. Nearly every agency is sold out the few cars that are left have rates of $600 a day and higher.
Weeks’ worth of worth of well-laid plans will come together for this rare opportunity.
“This will be a first time. And I don’t know if I’ll get another opportunity, but I’m excited about this one,” said airport traveler, Regaynal Poplion.
The Federal Aviation Administration has even issued a warning for pilots, airports, and travelers of potential travel delays across the eclipse path.
“There may be a higher traffic volume than normally anticipated at airports along the path of the eclipse. Traffic should anticipate delays during peak traffic periods. Parking may be limited – particularly at the smaller, uncontrolled airports. There could be a delay with issuance of IFR departure clearances. VFR departures may also expect delays for airborne pickup of IFR clearance within 50 NM on either side of the path of the eclipse,” the agency said in a statement.
A solar eclipse will occur over North Texas for several hours on April 8, 2024. The partial eclipse will begin at 12:23 p.m. and end at 3:02 p.m. Totality will last only minutes, from about 1:40 p.m. until 1:44 p.m., depending on location. The event is truly a rare occasion. Another total solar eclipse won't occur over the United States until 2044 and the National Weather Service says there won't be another in our region until 2317.
