50 and counting: That's how many private planes so far are expected in Erie for eclipse

More than 50 private planes so far are expected to land in Erie on April 8, weather permitting.

Weather permitting, that is, for the total solar eclipse.

If the sky over Erie is cloudy that day, the planes most likely will land at another airport in the path of totality. If it's clear, the planes will be cleared to land here.

Erie International Airport is ready to accommodate the traffic, mostly small private jets, Executive Director Derek Martin said.

Most of the small planes will be parked near North Coast Air, which provides fuel, maintenance and other aircraft services at the airport.

One large jet will be parked on an airport taxiway that will be closed to accommodate it.

"It's a Boeing (Business) Jet, a $71 million aircraft that Southwest flies as a 737. It costs about $14,000 an hour to operate," Martin said, "so somebody with money is coming."

The airport has no details on the plane owners, passengers or where the planes will be coming from, but about 150 passengers are expected.

"Most plan to stay at the airport. We'll have an area where they can hang out and watch the eclipse," Martin said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has advised pilots of special procedures that may be in effect during the eclipse as well as possible delays and limited parking at airports along the path of totality.

Increased private plane traffic will not affect American Airlines service in Erie, Martin said.

The airline's afternoon flights arrive at 1:20 p.m. and depart at 1:48. The eclipse starts at 2:02 p.m. when the moon begins to move in front of the sun. It will totally eclipse the sun from 3:16 to 3:20. The eclipse will end at 4:30 p.m.

Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie eclipse: More than 50 private planes are expected to land here