Delays continue at Orlando International Airport

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport resumed regular operations Friday following an FAA-issued ground delay Thursday night, an airport spokesperson said. 

Flights to Orlando International Airport (MCO) were delayed for hours on Thursday night due to FAA staffing issues, according to the FAA’s National Airspace System website.

What we know:

At this time, MCO is seeing only a few delays and cancellations, partially due to weather elsewhere in the country, an airport spokesperson said. 

The backstory:

The Federal Aviation Administration implemented a ground delay program at Orlando International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 29 – affecting more than a dozen flights. 

Flight delays were lifted around 10 p.m. on Thursday. However, FOX 35’s Amanda Ruiz reported Friday morning that some departure flights from MCO are delayed. Some of these destinations included flights to Cancun, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Los Angeles, Montreal, Nashville and New Orleans. 

The FAA is under the Department of Transportation, which is currently in shutdown/furlough status due to a lapse in funding appropriations from the government shutdown. The shutdown began on Oct. 1. 

Air traffic workers missed their first paycheck of the month, Ruiz reported. They’re mandated to work during a government shutdown. A corporate pilot told FOX 35 they’re likely to use their sick days. 

“The airspace can only handle so much,” JP Dice, a corporate pilot, said. “If you have a shortage of controllers, you have to reduce the number of flights coming in or the flights departing. So, that’s what you’re running into around the country.” 

Travelers at Orlando International Airport check into their gates on Oct. 31, 2025. 

How long were the delays? 

Flights arriving to MCO were delayed 2.5 hours on Thursday, an airport spokesperson said. At one point, the maximum delay was listed at 714 minutes, a nearly 12-hour delay.

Why were flights delayed? 

Delays at Orlando were due to FAA staffing issues, an MCO spokesperson told FOX 35.

“The FAA has issued a ground delay for Orlando International Airport due to FAA staffing issues,” an airport spokesperson said in a statement. “The ground delay program has reduced the rate of arrivals at the airport and passengers may experience delays on average of 2 1/2 hours.” 

Travelers walk in the terminal at Orlando International Airport on Oct. 31, 2025.

How to check flight status

To check the status of your flight, officials recommend checking with the airline directly:

More airports on ground delays

Ground delays were reported at Austin Airport and Nashville International Airport, Friday. 

The Source: Information in this story was gathered from statements from the FAA, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and previous reporting. 

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