Flight operations at Washington, D.C., and Baltimore airports were temporarily halted on Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported a strong chemical odour affecting air traffic controllers. The FAA imposed a ground stop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport at around 16:50 local time. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on social media that the stop also included Richmond International Airport.
A spokesperson for the FAA said the stoppage was prompted by a “strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers.” The Potomac TRACON, located in Warrenton, Virginia, manages traffic to and from the Washington area.
Duffy added that authorities were working to identify the source of the odour. Flights were expected to resume around 20:00, according to the FAA’s website.
FlightAware, a flight tracking data company, noted departure delays out of BWI, Reagan and Dulles could be 1 hour and 31 minutes, 1 hour and 25 minutes and 1 hour and 4 minutes, respectively.
Stranded travelers flocked to the sit-down dining options in the airport or stayed by their gates, saving spots in coveted chairs — many sitting on the floor because of the overcrowding in the terminal.
Passengers were left waiting on the tarmac for extended periods. Grace Wilkins Maxwell, travelling from Washington Dulles to Louisville, Kentucky, said she had been on her plane for about an hour before passengers were asked to disembark.
“I’m not convinced anyone is leaving DC tonight,” she told local media, explaining that she was attempting to reach Louisville to collect her dog, Browser, a Brussels Griffon, from a dog show. She added: “It seems like it’s expanding. If it was minor, it would’ve already been fixed.”
