A Southwest Airlines flight was aborted after the crew mistakenly took off from a taxiway instead of the runway at Orlando airport. The incident occurred on Thursday morning, and no injuries were reported. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, stopped safely on the taxiway and returned to the gate.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident along with the National Transportation Safety Board. This is not an isolated error; a series of recent incidents have raised concerns about US aviation safety. In December, the FAA completed a safety review of Southwest Airlines after a series of low-altitude flights over Tampa Bay and near Hawaii.
The FAA has also announced plans to install enhanced safety technology at 74 airports by the end of 2026 to detect runway incursions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy plans to announce a plan to overhaul the US air traffic control system in the coming days.
A fatal helicopter collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet last month highlighted concerns about aviation safety. The FAA is also conducting an audit into runway incursion risks at the 45 busiest airports.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/southwest-flight-cancels-takeoff-after-crew-mistook-orlando-taxiway-runway-2025-03-20