A ground stop was issued for all three major airports serving the Washington, D.C. area on Friday afternoon.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport were all affected.
Officials later said the disruption was linked to a ‘strong chemical smell’ detected at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, commonly known as Potomac TRACON, which oversees air traffic in the region.
Because of the issue, the FAA ordered a ground stop that appeared set to remain in place until at least 10pm.
In a statement, the agency said flights were temporarily halted at Reagan National (DCA), Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) due to the odor at the Potomac TRACON facility, which was affecting some air traffic controllers.
The FAA issued a ground stop Friday at Reagan National, Washington Dulles and Baltimore/Washington International airports after a strong chemical smell was reported at the Potomac TRACON facility
Officials said the odor was affecting some air traffic controllers responsible for managing flights in the Washington, D.C. region. Pictured, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Potomac TRACON, located in Warrenton, Virginia, provides air traffic control services for the Baltimore-Washington area. Pictured, Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, VA
The FAA advised travelers to check its flight status website, fly.faa.gov, for the latest updates.
Potomac TRACON, located in Warrenton, Virginia, manages approach and departure traffic for a large portion of the mid-Atlantic, including the Baltimore-Washington and Richmond-Charlottesville regions.
Controllers at the facility handle aircraft moving through the airspace surrounding several major airports, including Reagan National, Dulles, BWI and Richmond, as well as flights operating near Joint Base Andrews and other nearby airfields.
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