Plane taxis to Orlando gate — after alligator crosses tarmac

ORLANDO, Fla. — Most times it’s bad weather or bird strikes that delay flights.

This time it was an alligator. Anthony Velardi says his plane had just landed at the Orlando International Airport on Monday when he spotted the large reptile casually lumbering across the tarmac toward a pond. He posted a 10-second video on Facebook. Velardi says the Spirit Airlines flight had to wait about five minutes before it could taxi to the gate.

He says an airport truck arrived at the pond to make sure the alligator didn’t return to the taxiway.

Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell told The Associated Press that such sightings are infrequent, even though 110 hectares of the airport’s land are covered in water. Fennell says the alligator’s presence didn’t impact any other airport operations.