ORLANDO, Fla. — Passengers aboard an outbound Allegiant Air flight experienced an unusual delay Monday evening when a slow-moving intruder wandered onto an active taxiway, temporarily holding up operations.
On the evening of Monday, November 2, Allegiant Air Flight G43204 was preparing for departure when air traffic control spotted a turtle ambling across Taxiway B. The Airbus A320 was in the middle of taxiing toward the threshold of active Runway 9L for a scheduled 7:00 p.m. takeoff.
Pilots were notified of the reptile’s presence just before rolling out toward the runway which delayed the previous flight arrival. Operations were briefly paused while airport ground crews responded to clear the stray wildlife safely from the tarmac, ensuring both the safety of the animal and the aircraft.
Florida airports regularly monitor for local wildlife around runways and taxiways, though reptiles remaining on active transit routes right at peak departure windows remain a rare occurrence.
A similar event occurred to a JetBlue Airbus A320 still at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
An alligator entering the apron during the evening hours moved freely across the aircraft parking area.
