The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation after a Southwest Airlines flight attempted to takeoff on a taxiway at Orlando International Airport on Mach 20, 2025.
The FAA said an air traffic controller cancelled takeoff clearance for Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 at around 9:30 am local time, after the 737-800 began its takeoff roll on a taxiway that runs parallel to a runway at the Florida airport. Flight 3278 was heading to Albany International Airport in New York.
Southwest Airlines said that the aircraft “stopped safely on a taxiway after its crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway", confirming that no injuries were reported.
The airline said it is engaged with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA to understand the circumstances of the event.
This incident came just one day after the FAA said it is rolling out new enhanced safety technology at 74 air traffic control towers across the US, in order to improve runway safety and reduce runway incursions.
This technology is not currently planned to be deployed at Orlando International.