Iberia eclipse flight gives passengers extra seconds of totality

On August 12, 2026, a special Iberia flight (IB1473) carrying astronomers and enthusiasts chased the total solar eclipse across northern Spain, offering passengers a unique view from 11,000 meters. The Airbus A321XLR, piloted by Commander Javier Lopera Alcalá, flew at about 700 km/h to extend the period of totality. Passengers experienced 2 minutes and 7 seconds of darkness, compared to 66 seconds on the ground, according to COPE, while EL MUNDO reports the flight gained about 20 extra seconds over ground observations. The flight departed from Madrid-Barajas at 18:45 and landed back there, with the total phase occurring at 20:29–20:38 over Palencia.

The experience

Passengers described the event as emotional and serene. A 15-year-old told EFE, "I felt very calm, it's very beautiful and it was worth seeing." Another passenger, Cristina, called it "a moment of great inner tranquility." The cabin erupted in applause when the commander announced the plan had been fulfilled. The scientific leader, Miquel Serra-Ricart of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, praised the corona as "spectacular, very clean, probably because we were at ten kilometers altitude, and very symmetrical."

Scientific mission

Beyond the spectacle, the flight conducted four scientific experiments, including high-resolution imaging of the solar corona with a Seestar telescope. Serra-Ricart noted the advantages of altitude: flying above tropospheric clouds and reducing atmospheric absorption, yielding "the cleanest eclipse anyone has seen." He estimated the totality at 127 seconds, claiming the passengers enjoyed the longest eclipse in Spain.

What's next

Lopera expressed interest in future expeditions, such as an eclipse in southern Spain or a six-minute event in Luxor. The success of this flight may inspire more airborne eclipse observations.