Air Charter Service chartered an Embraer 190 carrying nearly 100 passengers from London Stansted to Valladolid, Spain, for the August 12 total solar eclipse, the first visible in continental Europe since 2006.
The company lined up three possible landing options to ensure the best viewing conditions: Keflavik in Iceland, Valladolid and Palma, Mallorca. With clear weather forecast at all three, the decision was made to fly to Valladolid on the Friday before the eclipse. ACS also chartered private jets into Zaragoza and Palma for other clients, including travelers from the US.
“We booked the day return flight more than a year ago, knowing that we would be able to help eclipse-chasers, astronomy enthusiasts and photographers get the best view of the first total solar eclipse in continental Europe since 2006,” said Matthew Purton, group aviation services director at ACS.
While the UK experienced a partial eclipse of between 90 and 94% solar coverage, the path of totality passed through parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
Purton said ACS is already planning charters for the August 2, 2027, eclipse, which is expected to offer up to six and a half minutes of totality. “With some hotels for that week in these places already fully booked, a day trip on a chartered aircraft will make for an ideal way to see it,” he said.
