Flights at four major airports serving the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond, Virginia areas were halted Friday evening for over an hour due to a strong chemical smell impacting air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration announced.
The ground stop affected Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and Richmond International Airport, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s social media post. Flights began to resume after 7 p.m. ET, but the ground stop preventing planes from landing remained in effect for some time.
The source of the disruption was traced to the Potomac TRACON facility in Warrenton, Virginia, which manages air traffic for the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Virginia, and Richmond-Charlottesville areas. An FAA spokesperson indicated the cause was a “chemical odor” at the facility, but did not immediately clarify how the smell was affecting controllers.
The disruption caused significant flight delays, with roughly 25% to one-third of all departures from the four affected airports experiencing delays of an hour or more. The FAA had initially expected the ground stops to last until at least midnight, citing the impact on air traffic controllers.
Richmond International Airport is a medium-sized, multi-use airport located on the eastern edge of the city of Richmond, Virginia, and has associated Class Charlie airspace. Pilots operating in the area are required to review specific operational requirements for that airspace.
As of Saturday morning, the FAA has not released further details regarding the nature of the chemical odor or the extent of its impact on personnel at the Potomac TRACON facility. The agency has not responded to questions regarding the long-term effects of the incident on air traffic operations.
