Will eclipse-chasers be able to see December’s total solar eclipse?

Argentina has introduced one of the toughest coronavirus travel bans in the world

Could the coronavirus prevent eclipse-chasers from seeing the sun’s corona in 2020? That now seems at least a possibility as Argentina has banned all commercial flight ticket sales until September 2020. 

That’s one of the toughest travel bans yet seen, but its expiry date is well before the total solar eclipse of December 14, 2020, which will be visible in Argentina’s northern Patagonia region, as well as in Chile.

The decree, signed by Argentina’s National Civil Aviation Administration, bans until September 1, 2020 the sale and purchase of commercial flights to, from or within Argentina. 

Argentina’s largest carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas, is state-owned and could survive as long as the government is willing to subsidize it, reports France 24, but the ban could put a strain on LATAM Airlines Group, which flies around South America, and low-cost carriers like Bondi, SkyAirlines and JETSmart.  

Aviation agency IATA says the decision breaches bilateral agreements and put at risk more than 300,000 jobs in Argentina, according to the BBC. 

Argentina has been under a national lockdown since March 20.

Pic credit: pixabay.com