By David Shepardson
(Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration said a Southwest Airlines flight aborted takeoff at Orlando airport on Thursday after it mistakenly began to depart on a taxiway rather than the runway.
An air traffic controller at the Florida airport canceled the takeoff clearance for Southwest Flight 3278 around 9:30 a.m. after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, the FAA said.
Southwest said the plane stopped safely on the taxiway and no injuries were reported.
This is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised concerns about U.S. aviation safety. Southwest said it is engaged with the FAA to understand the circumstances of the event and accommodated customers on another aircraft to their destination.
On Wednesday, the FAA said it would install enhanced safety technology at 74 airports by the end of 2026 to help detect runway incursions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that he plans to announce in the next few days a plan to overhaul the U.S. air traffic control system to replace aging technologies.
The fatal Army helicopter and American Airlines regional jet collision on Jan. 29 that killed 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport has also rekindled concerns about aviation safety.
The FAA said in October that it was opening an audit into runway incursion risks at the 45 busiest U.S. airports.
Over the last two years, a series of troubling near-miss incidents has raised concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on understaffed air traffic control operations.
A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks to cover shifts.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman)
