Ground stop lifted at major DC-area airports after chemical odor disrupts air traffic control
A ground stop issued at several airports in the Washington, D.C., region on Friday has been lifted after a chemical odor disrupted air traffic control operations.
"The ground stop is over and operations have resumed," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X. "Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirm there is no danger to air traffic controllers."
The temporary ground stop affected Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and Richmond International Airport (RIC), according to Duffy.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later downgraded the alert to ground delays for the Washington-area airports as operations gradually resumed.
The FAA website showed significant delays as of 8:40 p.m. Friday, including average ground delays of about 222 minutes at DCA and more than 150 minutes at BWI.
Earlier in the day, Duffy said the FAA was investigating a strong odor detected at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which manages air traffic in the area.
He later said the smell came from an overheated circuit board, which has since been replaced.
"The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced. Thank you for your patience as we get flights up and running again," Duffy said.
TRACON, located in Warrenton, Virginia, provides air traffic control services across the Baltimore-Washington and Richmond-Charlottesville areas, according to FOX 5.
An FAA spokesperson confirmed the ground stop was implemented after a strong chemical smell at the facility affected some air traffic controllers.
"The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers," the spokesperson said.
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Although flights are now resuming, airport officials said passengers should expect lingering delays as airlines work through the backlog.
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"Airlines are once again resuming regular operations and preparing departures. Expect residual delays this evening," BWI Airport said in a post on X. "For flight-specific updates, please confirm flight status with your airline. We appreciate the patience of passengers impacted by the delays."