Spanish flag carrier Iberia will operate a special charter flight to observe the total solar eclipse that will be visible over parts of Spain on August 12, 2026.
The airline will deploy one of its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, which will take off from Madrid-Barajas International Airport (MAD) at 18.45 local time. The aircraft will follow a route over Palencia province, in north-central Spain, which has been specially drawn to maximize the visibility of this astronomical phenomenon.
The flight, which has been given the number IB1473, a reference to the year of birth of renowned 16th C. Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, will carry a team of researchers taking part in the Shelios program. The latter is a scientific and educational initiative led by astronomer Miquel Serra-Ricart, a researcher and former director of the Astrophysics Institute of the Canary Islands (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias).
The use of an aircraft flying at 10,000 meters of altitude will provide the researchers with an unimpeded above-the-clouds view of the eclipse and allow them to take measurements of the morphology of the Sun. It will also provide them with an opportunity to make other astronomical observations, such as the relative positions of Venus and Mercury with respect to the Sun as well as other visible stars.
One of the pilots onboard, Javier Meana Fernández, also has a background in astrophysics.
Iberia plans to broadcast the eclipse live from the sky via its social media channels, since the A321XLR that will perform the mission is one of the airline’s first aircraft to be equipped with satellite-based Starlink internet connectivity, provided by SpaceX.
This will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible from the Iberian Peninsula since 1912.