REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
(Washington, DC) – A strong chemical odor reported at a federal air traffic control facility caused temporary ground stops at several major airports in the Washington, D.C. region Friday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Flights were halted at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport after the odor was detected at the Potomac TRACON facility.
The FAA said the smell originated inside the Terminal Radar Approach Control center, which manages aircraft moving through regional airspace around the nation’s capital. The facility sits about 50 miles outside Washington and is responsible for coordinating planes as they approach or depart major airports in the area.
Because of the issue, departures at Dulles were experiencing delays of around 90 minutes or more, with delays continuing to increase as the situation developed.
The FAA’s alert system also indicated that Richmond International Airport was affected since it is also served by the Potomac TRACON facility.
Transportation officials said operations were paused while crews worked to determine the source of the chemical smell and ensure the safety of personnel inside the facility.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia International Airport was also experiencing delays Friday, though those were attributed to unrelated equipment outages.
Authorities have not yet said what caused the odor or whether any hazardous substances were detected. The FAA said it is continuing to investigate while working to restore normal operations.
