ORLANDO, Fla. – Operations at Orlando International Airport (MCO) ground to a halt Sunday afternoon after a fire alarm forced the evacuation of the airport’s air traffic control tower. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an immediate ground stop, leaving thousands of travelers in limbo during an already grueling travel weekend.
The disruption began shortly after 4:00 PM when a fire alarm was triggered within the control tower. Following standard safety protocols, air traffic controllers were forced to abandon their posts.
According to the FAA’s National Airspace System status, the ground stop was implemented specifically because of the “tower evacuation due to a possible fire.” While officials worked to inspect the facility, no inbound flights were permitted to land, and all departing aircraft remained held at their gates.
According to FlightAware data, 248 flights have been delayed so far at the airport on Sunday. At least 33 flights have been canceled. Flights are diverting to TPA and FLL.
