SpaceX Starship launches could delay up to 12,000 commercial flights in Florida each year due to shared airspace

If you’re living in the Sunshine State and thought flight delays were bad now, wait until the SpaceX Starship starts sharing Florida airspace.

The world’s most powerful rocket is gearing up for lift-off from Florida, and its sheer size and might could mean thousands of delayed flights each year.

The potential disruption isn’t just in the skies either; local beaches could close, sonic booms could echo for miles, and tourists might find their tan time interrupted by a thundering rocket launch.

But in classic SpaceX fashion, the company insists it has everything under control.

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SpaceX is already constructing new launch facilities in Florida

The Starship program has already turned heads (and shaken windows) from its home base at Starbase, Texas.

Since 2023, SpaceX has launched 11 test flights of the behemoth rocket, with mixed results.

Some of the test launches achieved new records, while others went up in flames.

Starbase itself became an official city in early 2025, a testament to how seriously the company takes its galactic ambitions.

The company’s long-term plan is to use Starship to ferry humans to the Moon, Mars, and possibly beyond.

Now, Elon Musk’s space juggernaut wants to bring Starship’s thunder to Florida, launching from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The move, however, comes with a bureaucratic hurdle: approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

While the FAA reviews SpaceX’s request, the company has already begun constructing new launch facilities at Kennedy, confident approval is just a matter of time.

Florida locals are concerned about the sonic boom

Locals, however, are more cautious than enthusiastic.

The company’s smaller Falcon 9 rockets already close off beaches, create massive safety zones, and temporarily reroute both airplanes and ships during launches.

Starship, being several times larger and more powerful, could cause even greater disruptions in Florida airspace.

In fact, some estimates suggest that Starship launces could cause up to 12,000 flight delays per year.

Some projections even warn of two-hour flight delays for aircraft across Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and beyond.

SpaceX, meanwhile, says those fears will fade with experience.

The company points to its Falcon 9 program, where safety zones have shrunk by over 60 percent thanks to improved data and launch precision.

It also promises to work closely with the FAA to minimize air travel chaos.

And those infamous sonic booms?

SpaceX calls them a ‘brief thunder-like noise’ that’s harmless to wildlife, though beachgoers might still need to hold on to their hats.

Whatever it is, Florida’s skies are about to get a lot louder and busier, as SpaceX pushes humanity closer to the stars, one delayed flight at a time.

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