‘Strong Odor’ Causes All Flights To Stop At 3 Major Airports Near DC

The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flight operations at major airports Friday after a strong chemical odor at a nearby air traffic control facility disrupted operations across the Washington, D.C., region.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the FAA issued a ground stop affecting several major airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Richmond International Airport. The disruption stemmed from a strong odor detected at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, known as Potomac TRACON, which manages aircraft arriving and departing from several airports in the region.

“@FAANews is working to address the source of a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON that is impacting operations at the three airports,” Duffy wrote.

🚨BREAKING🚨 GROUND STOP CURRENTLY AT THE FOLLOWING AIRPORTS:

⚠️ Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
⚠️ Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
⚠️ Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)⁰⚠️ Richmond International Airport (RIC)@FAANews is working to…

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 13, 2026

In a preliminary statement, the FAA said it stopped traffic at major airports because the odor was affecting some air traffic controllers working inside the facility. (RELATED: Secretary Duffy, FAA Announce Restoration Of ‘Normal Operations,’ Termination Of Emergency Flight Reduction Order)

“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 FAA said in a statement, as posted by Reuters reporter David Shepardson.

Some departures have already resumed after the temporary ground stop tied to the strong odor, according to the FAA’s National Airspace System status website. However, delays and operational restrictions could remain in place until around midnight as crews work to fully restore normal flight traffic.

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