Washington Airports Reopen After Chemical Smell Forced Ground Stops

Air traffic personnel have been shifted to a training facility, but will have limited radar scope.

The control tower as a Delta airline flight takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Nov. 10, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Three Washington-area airports have reopened March 13 after a ground stop was declared earlier in the day due to a strong chemical odor coming from Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The odor forced the FAA to stop traffic and relocate personnel to a training facility. The airports were Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), and Richmond International Airport (RIC).

According to an update on X by Duffy, the operations have resumed, and the ground stop is over.

“Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirm there is no danger to air traffic controllers, and they are returning to the Potomac TRACON. The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced,” he said.

Washington Dulles Airport said in an update, “Flights have resumed, but significant delays are likely this evening.”

“Dulles International Airport is open and operating. FAA stopped flights at all commercial airports in the Washington, D.C., region for an extended time frame earlier this evening. As a result, significant delays and some cancellations can be expected for the remainder of Friday evening,” said an alert by the airport.

Baltimore-Washington International has also resumed operations.

“Airlines are once again resuming regular operations and preparing departures. Expect residual delays this evening,” BWI said in an X post.

The Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON) controls airspace over numerous airports in the Washington region, with the odor prompting the FAA to stop traffic, and relocating personnel to a training facility.

The facilities have limited radar scopes, so more delays due to air traffic congestion are expected, according to Reuters.

For the latest information and flight status, travelers are advised to visit the federal government’s website, nasstatus.faa.gov.

Due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, many airports across the country are facing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff shortages. This has resulted in long queues forming at airports, along with flight delays.

More than 300 TSA employees have quit after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a funding deal for the DHS.

A security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport was temporarily closed amid staffing concerns on March 12, according to a social media post by the airport.

“At PHL alone, 800 TSA agents are under strain, with some forced to take second jobs or stay home because they can’t afford basic expenses,” said Sen. Dave McCormick in a X post.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 10: “To any American out there who is struggling without a paycheck, we know that there’s more than 100,000 of you across the country.

“To any American out there who is showing up to an airport and facing incredibly long wait times and lines, call your Democrat member of Congress and tell them to fund the Department of Homeland Security.”

Democrats have demanded certain conditions that primarily apply to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations to be met before allowing the funding bill to pass.

These include limiting immigration enforcement to targeted operations, requiring judicial warrants before entering private property, ending what they describe as indiscriminate arrests, verifying citizenship before detention, requiring agents to clearly identify themselves, and restricting operations in locations such as churches, schools, and medical facilities.

The Epoch Times reached out to the FAA for comment but did not receive any updates by publication time.

Reuters contributed to this report.