Iberia to Chase Total Solar Eclipse With A321XLR

Spanish airline Iberia will operate a special flight on August 12 to observe the total solar eclipse from the sky.

Flight IB1473 will depart from Madrid at 18:45 aboard an Airbus A321XLR and head toward Spain’s northern region of Palencia. The flight path has been specially planned to allow the eclipse to be observed for as long as possible and under optimal conditions from an altitude of approximately 33,000 feet.

Scientists from the Shelios program will also be on board. The team will study the solar corona, conduct measurements of the Sun’s morphology, and observe the positions of Venus and Mercury relative to the Sun. One of the pilots, Javier Meana Fernández, also has a background in astrophysics.

The A321XLR operating the flight will be among Iberia’s first aircraft equipped with Starlink satellite internet. This will also allow the total solar eclipse to be livestreamed from the aircraft.