A strong chemical odour at a key air traffic control facility in Virginia led to the suspension of flights at several Washington-area airports, causing disruptions in air travel across the region. The affected airports included Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and Richmond International Airport.
The smell originated from the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility in Virginia, which manages air traffic for airports in the Washington-Baltimore region and parts of Virginia. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was actively working to pinpoint the source of the odour impacting operations.
The FAA implemented temporary ground stops, preventing aircraft from landing at the affected airports. Although flights resumed later in the evening, delays persisted as airlines worked to clear the backlog of aircraft. The ground stop was enforced due to reports of a strong chemical smell inside the Potomac TRACON facility, affecting some air traffic controllers responsible for managing flights approaching the busy Washington-area airports. No injuries were reported.
Potomac TRACON, a critical radar approach control facility, coordinates aircraft movements into and out of major airports serving the US capital region. The disruption caused delays in airline schedules, with approximately one-quarter to one-third of departing flights from the affected airports experiencing delays after the ground stop. Passengers faced extended waits as airlines adjusted operations, with some remaining on aircraft on the tarmac for extended periods.
Flights gradually resumed later in the evening, although ground delays persisted as authorities worked to restore normal operations across the busy regional airspace.
