Watertown Airport hits capacity for private planes on Eclipse Day

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) — The skies over Watertown will be busy on April 8.

The 2024 total solar eclipse has put Northern New York in the spotlight. The City of Watertown and the surrounding communities are in the direct path of totality.

This single event is expected to attract over 100,000 people. Some of whom will arrive by plane at the Watertown International Airport (ART).

According to Director of Aviation Grant Sussey, 85 private and corporate planes are registered to land at the airport on Eclipse Day.

“This will likely be the biggest flying the airport has ever experienced,” Sussey expressed. “Right now, we have 85 aircraft registered and that is the max.”

The airport also has a standby list of over 40 aircraft.

Due to the region’s mild weather forecast, these jets are flying to Watertown from across the Northeast and Canada. One the planes arrive, they will be parked on portions of the runway and in the grass.

“We’ll have a staff of flight line personnel to direct these aircraft into parking positions,” Sussey explained. “So it’s very similar to the air show, fly-ins and whatnot for as far as aircraft taxiing a certain route and then getting into a parking position.”

Because Watertown International only serves two daily American Airlines flights, it does not have a general aviation terminal.

However, for the eclipse, the airport’s main hangar will be temporarily transformed into a “terminal,” which will include food, music entertainment, seating and transportation from the runway to the hangar.

Sussey said the goal is to make visitors feel welcomed and bring them back to the area.

“One of our objectives is welcoming these guests from out of town and sharing information about our region, the 1000 Islands region, [Jefferson County], and Northern New York,” he explained. “Kind of sharing information about the attractions here and what’s here so that these folks can come back and spend more time in our area and explore things.”

This event will not be open to the public.