2024 Eclipse Impact: Momentum Ventures Examines Shifts in Travel Trends

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 16, 2024--

The recent solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, not only enthralled spectators across North America but also influenced travel patterns. As the eclipse traversed the continent, it underscored the intricate interplay between natural phenomena and the travel industry. Momentum Ventures™, parent company of FlightHub™, justfly.com™, and Flygreen™, explores the eclipse's impact on travel behaviour, unveiling insights into the evolving dynamics of air travel.

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The Eclipse’s Impact on Air Traffic and Travel Behaviour

Momentum Ventures observes that natural events like solar eclipses can affect consumers’ travel behaviour, thereby influencing the travel sector.

Recent data from FlightHub and justfly.com highlighted notable shifts in travel trends around the eclipse period to destinations ideal for eclipse observation. Over the weekend preceding the eclipse, domestic flight bookings to Montreal, QC, surged by 17% compared to the previous three weeks. In contrast, during the same weekend last year, there was a 13% decrease in bookings compared to the preceding three weeks.

In the United States, cities such as Dallas, Austin, and Indianapolis collectively reported an average increase of 48% in domestic travel bookings for the weekend in question. Austin led the pack with a 53% surge compared to the preceding three weeks and a 37% rise compared to the same weekend last year. Dallas followed closely with a 44% increase compared to the previous three weeks and a 47% uptick compared to 2023. Indianapolis showed the smallest increase, with a 31% growth in domestic flight bookings compared to the previous three weeks and a 16% increase compared to the same weekend last year.

"FlightHub and justfly.com's latest data spotlight intriguing travel trends during the eclipse period. Surges in domestic flight bookings to destinations like Montreal and across the U.S. demonstrate the allure of celestial events for travellers. It's a testament to the ever-evolving dynamics of travel behaviour," shares Matt Keezer, CEO of Momentum Ventures.

This pattern indicates a keen interest among travellers to experience these natural wonders up close, showing their willingness to modify their travel arrangements accordingly.

"Natural phenomena have a profound impact on the private aviation sector. At Flygreen, we understand that apart from the fascination of events like eclipses or the Northern Lights, private aviation companies also respond to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. We witness a surge in private jet bookings, primarily for evacuation purposes," shares Matt Keezer.

This surge is often driven by individuals urgently seeking evacuation from affected areas, as disrupted flight schedules and limited availability create challenges for airlines, leading to operational struggles and mass cancellations. In such critical circumstances, private aviation becomes pivotal, providing vital assistance and safe transport when it's needed most.

A Call for Industry-Wide Collaboration

Momentum Ventures sees the solar eclipse, or any natural phenomena as a chance to underscore the value of collaboration within the aviation and travel industry. By exchanging insights, resources, and best practices, the industry can always enhance its readiness for future significant events, benefiting the sector, travellers, and the economy. Comprehensive accommodations, including flights, suitable hotels, efficient transportation, and engaging tours, are crucial for experiencing such events, and this integrated approach fosters greater traveller engagement and satisfaction.

About Momentum Ventures

Established in 2014 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Momentum Ventures™ is a dynamic holding company focused on transforming the travel industry. Through a portfolio of subsidiaries including notable brands like FlightHub™ and Justfly.com™, Momentum Ventures is committed to operational excellence and sustainable growth strategies. With a track record of expanding in competitive markets, the company continues to innovate and reshape the travel sector.

Photo Credit: NASA Earth Observatory - Total Solar Eclipse Darkens North America

BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — A former teacher at New Hampshire’s youth detention center testified Monday that she reported suspicious bruises on at least half a dozen teenage boys in the 1990s, including the former resident who filed a landmark lawsuit against the state.

Brenda Wouters, who taught social studies at the Sununu Youth Services Center for 35 years, was the final witness called by David Meehan, who is seeking to hold the state accountable for physical, sexual and emotional abuse he says he suffered as a teen. Since he went to police in 2017, 11 former state workers have been arrested, and more than 1,100 former residents of the Manchester facility have filed lawsuits alleging six decades of abuse.

Wouters, who retired in 2022, said during the civil trial that she remembered Meehan growing sullen and withdrawn during his three years at what was then called the Youth Development Center. He had a black eye twice, she said. Another time, she asked him to lift up his shirt after she caught a glimpse of bruising and saw a “rainbow” of bruises along his torso.

Other teens showed up to school with marks on their necks and arms, Wouters said. The whites of one boy’s eyes were “beet red,” she said.

“The reddest eyes I’ve ever seen short of watching a Dracula film,” she said.

Wouters also described teens telling her about being forced to fight. Staff pitted stronger kids against more fragile ones.

“Then they would encourage those kids to go ahead and fight with each other almost to the death until whomever was being the loser would then comply with whatever the staff wanted,” she said.

Wouters said when she approached residential staff, they brushed her off. She said she told her boss, and on multiple occasions, called the state Division of Children, Youth and Families, but there was no follow-up that she saw.

Under questioning from the state’s attorney, however, Wouters acknowledged that she never witnessed abuse, nor did she file any written complaints. Shown progress reports from the 1990s, she also acknowledged that Meehan was only in her class during the spring of 1996, a time when he does not allege abuse. But she said she would’ve still interacted with him after that.

Lawyers for the state will begin presenting their side on Tuesday, the trial's 15th day. In opening arguments earlier this month, they argued the state is not liable for the actions of “rogue” employees, and in questioning Meehan’s witnesses, suggested he is lying to get money. The state also contends he waited too long to file his lawsuit. The statute of limitations for such lawsuits is three years from the date of injury, though there are exceptions in cases when victims were not aware of its link to the wrongful party.

After the jury was dismissed for the day Monday, Assistant Attorney General Brandon Chase asked the judge to issue a verdict in the state’s favor based on the statute of limitations argument.

Judge Andrew Schulman denied that request, saying the jury will decide. Though he said it might be a “close call” as to when Meehan realized as an adult he might have a claim against the state, he said it was unreasonable to believe he made that connection while at the facility or soon after. Schulman said when he visited the facility with jurors at the start of the trial, he spent some time in Meehan’s former room, looking out the window.

“It occurred to me while I was there, this is the kid’s eye view,” he said. “You don’t have a very wide view of the world.”

FILE - The Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, N.H., stands among trees, Jan. 28, 2020. A former teacher at New Hampshire’s youth detention center testified Monday, April 29, 2024, that she reported suspicious bruises on at least half a dozen teenage boys in the 1990s, including the former resident who filed a landmark lawsuit against the state. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)