Southwest flight cancels takeoff after crew mistook Orlando taxiway for runway

(Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration said a Southwest Airlines flight at Orlando airport on Thursday aborted takeoff 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 after the crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway and no injuries were reported.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)