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For the most part, it will be business as usual at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport on April 8, but that doesn't mean those running it haven't been planning for months to ensure things run as smoothly as possible. .
“We are expecting 42 departures and 42 arrivals, which is similar to a normal Monday travel day,” explains airport director Andy Moore. But what will happen in the middle of the day on Monday is not normal. “There are four people coming into Rochester between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.,” Moore says. None of the flights are expected to fly over Rochester at the scheduled total time, 3:20 p.m. However, air traffic controllers, airport firefighters and those who maintain the grounds and runways are ready when darkness falls.
“We will be manually operating the ramp lights on the commercial ramp side of the airport, making sure our garage lights are on, and working with air traffic control to make sure our taxiway and runway lights are on as needed,” Moore explains.
It's difficult to determine whether the eclipse has led to an increase in the number of people flying to our area, because it conflicts with what is typically one of the busiest aviation weeks of the year. “Everyone comes back from spring break, let's say the Saturday or Sunday before the eclipse,” Moore says. “It's hard to know if they're actually coming back because they live here or if they're coming here because of the eclipse.”
If you plan to travel from the airport the afternoon of the eclipse, Moore suggests getting there early, bringing your glasses and watching the eclipse from the top of a parking garage or one of the airport lots.
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