Airlinesare preparing special flights for Wednesday’s total solar eclipse, giving passengers and scientists the chance to watch one of 2026’s biggest astronomical events from above the clouds
The total solar eclipse on 12 August will be visible across parts of Europe and the North Atlantic. The path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a small area of northeastern Portugal. At the same time, other parts of Europe will experience a partial eclipse, according to the European Space Agency (ESA)
Spainwill have the largest area of totality in Europe, with the eclipse crossing the country from west to east before continuing across the Balearic Islands
But some observers will not have to worry about finding a cloud-free viewing spot on the ground
Iberia and Brussels Airlines have confirmed dedicated eclipse flights, while Belgian aght from Liège
A separate charter flight from London Stansted will take passengers directly to whichever one of three eclipse-viewing regions has the best weather
Iberia is sending an A321XLR into the path of totality
Perhaps the most unusual airline operation comes from Iberia
The Spanish flag carrier will operate flight IB1473 from Madrid on 12 August using an Airbus A321XLR. The flight number is a reference to 1473, the year astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born
Rather than flying between two cities, the aircraft will leave Madrid, position itself to observe the eclipse and return to Madrid
According to Iberia’s announcement reported by Cinco Días, the flight has been specifically designed to maximise viewing conditions over the province of Palencia at an altitude of more than 10,000 metres
The aircraft will carry scientists from the Shelios Project, led by astronomer and Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias researcher Miquel Serra-Ricart
The researchers will use the flight to observe the Sun from an altitude where clouds and other atmospheric effects are less of an obstacle
Iberia also plans to livestream the eclipse through its social media channels using the Starlink high-speed connectivity it is progressively introducing across its fleet
Unlike a conventional sightseeing flight, IB1473 has a significant scientific component and provides a spectacular vantage point from which to observe totality. The airline’s decision to live stream the eclipse flight makes the unique experience available to everyone on the ground
Brussels Airlines is offering 100 seats
Brussels Airlines is taking a different approach by carrying paying eclipse watchers
The Lufthansa Group carrier will operate the flight in coordination with Urania Public Observatory, the University of Antwerp and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, on an Airbus A320 departing from Brussels on Wednesday
The flight is fully booked, though capacity was limited to 100 passengers with aisle seats kept empty to give passengers better access to the windows
Tickets were priced at €299 for a programme lasting about four hours, including roughly two hours in the air
The Brussels Airlines aircraft is expected to fly towards western France, where passengers will be able to see a deep partial eclipse rather than totality
Belgian VIP eclipse flight will leave Liège
Demand has also prompted a Belgian private charter eclipse-observation flight.
Urania and ASL Group have organised the flight, which will depart from Liège Airport on 12 August
The aircraft is an Embraer ERJ135 operated by ACE, part of ASL Group, according to details of the Liège eclipse flight on the Urania website. The smaller regional jet’s maximum occupancy was also limited to 30 seats for this flight.
The altitude should allow observers to get above much of the cloud that could interfere with ground-based observations
Bookings cost €799 per person and include some nice perks:
- Information session at Urania Public Observatory in Hove with Planetarium show
- Two-hour eclipse flight to Nantes (France) by private jet
- Eclipse glasses
- Guidance by a Urania guide during the flight
- Open bar service and snacks during the flight
The flight is already fully booked.
It means Belgium will have at least two dedicated eclipse observation flights operating on Wednesday
An £899 eclipse charter is leaving London Stansted
UK passengers have another option, although this flight is structured differently
Air Charter Service has marketed a £899-per-person same-day eclipse charter departing London Stansted on 12 August
Rather than observing the eclipse entirely from the aircraft, the charter is designed to transport passengers to one of three potential viewing areas: Valladolid or the Balearic Islands in Spain, or Keflavík in Iceland
The destination will be selected based on expected weather conditions, giving passengers a better chance of seeing totality.
Air Charter Service describes the eclipse flights as:
- Same-day return flight with guaranteed window or aisle seating to the best-viewing destination, with the advantage that no hotel booking is required.
- Baggage included in the fare and telescopic equipment is permitted, subject to size and dimensions.
- The carrier will provide a complimentary hot meal, soft drinks, beer, and wine during the flight.
Air Charter Services also includes round-trip bus transfers “from the destination airport to a designated and approved viewing area set up by local authorities” in the price of the ticket
Airlines have also added capacity to eclipse destinations
The special flights represent only a tiny part of the a
Airlines have spent months promoting services to Iceland and northern Spain to travellers hoping to see totality
Alaska Airlines, for example, has pitched the eclipse in promoting its new nonstop Seattle-Reykjavík service, which launched in May 2026. The airline identified Iceland’s position in the path of totality as one reason for travellers to use the new route.
Icelandair has also been actively promoting Iceland as an eclipse destination, with information for travellers planning trips around the event available through its 2026 solar eclipse guide
easyJet, meanwhile, identified northern Spain, Mallorca, Ibiza and Iceland among destinations benefiting from growing interest in what it calls “dark sky tourism.” The airline included the 2026 eclipse among its travel trends for 2026
Eclipse sends flight bookings soaring
The a specially organised observation flights. The scale of eclipse tourism is clearer in airline booking data
Amadeus Air Visitors data shows flight bookings for arrivals at airports along the eclipse path between 7 and 12 August are 25% higher than during the equivalent period in 2025
The increase becomes even more pronounced immediately before the eclipse. Flight bookings for arrivals on 10 August were 39% higher year-on-year, according to Amadeus Travel Intelligence data on eclipse travel to Spain and Iceland
The destinations with the most significant growth in bookings when compared to 2025 were:
- Bilbao (+366%)
- Asturias (+292%)
- Valencia (+137%).
Travellers are flying on scheduled airline services to stand beneath the path of totality, particularly heading to Spain and Iceland. Many sky watchers are taking long-haul flights to catch the stellar event, with the highest demand originating from the US, Japan, Argentina and Canada
NASA is chasing the eclipse from 50,000 feet
Commercial a
NASA is also conducting an airborne eclipse observation mission using one of its WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft
The research aircraft provides scientists with another advantage over observers on the ground: the ability to fly with the Moon’s shadow, potentially extending the time available for observations
For the airline passengers flying below the research aircraft, however, the attraction is considerably simpler: seeing the Sun disappear without having to worry quite so much about Wednesday’s weather
Get all the latest aviation news here from AGN.Get all the latest aviation news here from AGN.
News
Air TransportMost ReadSpaceAlaska AirlinesBrussels AirlinesESAIberiaIcelandairNASASolar Eclipse
Sign up for our newsletter and get our latest content in your
inbox.
1
Archer to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stakeArcher to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes…
Archer Aviation
August 10, 2026
2
Emirates turns Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 parts into giant Arsenal crest
Emirates turns Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 parts into giant…
Emirates
August 10, 2026
3
Starship survived the flight. Now SpaceX has another problem: getting it home
Starship survived the flight. Now SpaceX has another problem: getting…
SpaceX
August 10, 2026
4
Why United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are winning with Starlink WiFi
Why United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are winning with Starlink…
Starlink
August 10, 2026
Related Topics
More from
Archer to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stakeArcher to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stake
August 10, 2026
Emirates turns Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 parts into giant Arsenal crestEmirates turns Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 parts into giant Arsenal crest
August 10, 2026
Why United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are winning with Starlink WiFiWhy United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are winning with Starlink WiFi
August 10, 2026
Why are airlines keeping older aircraft in service for longer?
Why are airlines keeping older aircraft in service for longer?
August 9, 2026
Archer to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stakeArcher to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stake
August 10, 2026
Starship survived the flight. Now SpaceX has another problem: getting it homeStarship survived the flight. Now SpaceX has another problem: getting it home
August 10, 2026
Damaged C-17 flies again after US Air Force robot makes part nobody else could
Damaged C-17 flies again after US Air Force robot makes part nobody else could
August 10, 2026
What makes a fighter jet ‘sixth generation’?
What makes a fighter jet ‘sixth generation’?
August 9, 2026
Archer to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stakeArcher to acquire Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid as Boeing takes 19.75% stake
August 10, 2026
US Air Force says B-21 Raider remains on track for 2027 service entry
US Air Force says B-21 Raider remains on track for 2027 service entry
August 10, 2026
Ukraine moves towards anti-ballistic missile capabilities as Freyja takes shape
Ukraine moves towards anti-ballistic missile capabilities as Freyja takes shape
August 7, 2026
Korean Air to adapt Archer Midnight eVTOL for military transport missions
Korean Air to adapt Archer Midnight eVTOL for military transport missions
August 5, 2026
eSAF could solve aviation’s fuel problem. So why is almost nobody making it?
eSAF could solve aviation’s fuel problem. So why is almost nobody making it?
August 7, 2026
Why is sustainable aviation fuel so scarce and expensive?Why is sustainable aviation fuel so scarce and expensive?
August 1, 2026
Amsterdam Schiphol champions airport quality as it reveals €801 million investment
Amsterdam Schiphol champions airport quality as it reveals €801 million investment
July 29, 2026
India’s ePlane strengthens supply chain with global aerospace partners as e200X moves towards certification
India’s ePlane strengthens supply chain with global aerospace partners as e200X moves towards certification
July 28, 2026
