BREAKING: FAA Issues Ground Stop at Orlando Airport Following SpaceX Starship Incident

On March 6th, the FAA issued a ground stop for all flights at Orlando International Airport. Nearby Florida airports are also currently on hold.

The ground stop is scheduled to end at 8 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, March 6th, following an accident with a SpaceX Starship vehicle.

The incident occurred at 6:30 PM, when SpaceX launched its 400-foot Starship vehicle near Brownsville, Texas.  According to ABC News, shortly after launching, the ship began spinning out of control, and the engines flamed out. Debris from the vehicle landed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX released a statement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “During Starship’s ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost. Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses.” The ship was unmanned.

During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost. Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses.

We will review the data from today's flight test to better…

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 7, 2025

At around 7:30 PM EST, the Orlando Airport released a statement reading, in part, “Our airport is currently under a Ground Stop due to space launch debris in the area.” Other affected airports include Palm Beach, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale.

Operational Update: Per the @FAANews, our airport is currently under a Ground Stop due to space launch debris in the area. For airport delays, visit: https://t.co/JKuNBVb9Fl, and please check directly with your airline for further updates.

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) March 7, 2025

FlightAware reported significant flight delays and one flight cancelation at the Orlando Airport.

The SpaceX test flight was “designed to push the Starship’s capabilities further than previous attempts,” according to ABC News.

UPDATE: As of 7:43 PM EST, the FAA lifted the Ground Stop, and normal operations resumed.

Operational Update/2: The FAA has lifted the Ground Stop. Normal operations have resumed.

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) March 7, 2025

We will continue to follow this story. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest travel news, so stay tuned for more.

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