WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - A Southwest Airlines ( LUV )

flight aborted takeoff at Orlando airport on Thursday

after it mistakenly began to depart on a taxiway rather than the

runway, the latest in a series of recent incidents that have

raised concerns about U.S. aviation safety.

An air traffic controller at the Florida airport canceled

the takeoff clearance for Southwest Flight 3278 at around 9:30

a.m. ET (1330 GMT) after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on

a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, the Federal Aviation

Administration said.

Taxiways are paths used by pilots to move the aircraft

between the terminal and the runway.

Southwest ( LUV ) said the Boeing 737-800 stopped safely on

the taxiway, returned to the gate and no injuries were reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA both said they

are investigating the incident.

Southwest ( LUV ) said it is engaged with the FAA to understand the

circumstances of the event and accommodated customers on another

aircraft to their destination.

The FAA in December completed a safety review of

Southwest ( LUV ) after a series of incidents, including a flight in

July that flew at a very low altitude over Tampa Bay and one

last April that came within about 400 feet (122 m) of the ocean

off Hawaii.

On Wednesday, the FAA said it would install enhanced safety

technology at 74 airports by the end of 2026 to help detect

runway incursions.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that

he plans to announce in the next few days a plan to overhaul the

U.S. air traffic control system to replace aging technologies.

A fatal Army helicopter and American Airlines ( AAL )

regional jet collision on Jan. 29 that killed 67 people near

Reagan Washington National Airport rekindled concerns about U.S.

aviation safety.

The FAA said in October that it was opening an audit into

runway incursion risks at the 45 busiest U.S. airports.

Over the last two years, there have been a series of

troubling near-miss incidents that have highlighted the strain

on understaffed air traffic control operations.

A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights

and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory

overtime and six-day weeks to cover shifts.