DC airports: Passengers face delays as FAA investigates chemical smell at air traffic control center


Passengers at three airports within the Washington, DC, space are dealing with vital delays after a floor cease was issued Friday afternoon because of an gear outage, in keeping with the FAA and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who posted particulars on X.

Passengers at Washington Reagan National Airport have been huddled at gates Friday night as they awaited their flights, with a number of sprawled out on the ground. While the bottom cease has since been lifted, delays at Baltimore have reached over two and a half hours, three hours at Dulles and greater than three and a half hours at Reagan, in keeping with the FAA, as the airports work to recuperate from the cease, which lasted about three hours.

Ground stops have been additionally issued at Richmond International Airport, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport and Manassas Regional Airport within the TRACON’s protection space, including to the rising record of delays affecting vacationers.

Travelers walk past a departures screen inside a terminal during a ground stop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on March 13, 2026.

Duffy mentioned the FAA is investigating a powerful odor coming from Potomac TRACON, which supplies air traffic control providers to the Baltimore-Washington and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas. The TRACON controls the airspace over Andrews, BWI, Ronald Reagan, Dulles, Richmond and plenty of different airports.

The TRACON is situated in Warrenton, Virginia.

NCS Special Correspondent Jamie Gangel is likely one of the many passengers caught at an airport.

Gangel mentioned her flight again to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been delayed at least 4 instances this night, and a few of her fellow passengers are nervous about lacking connecting flights.

People are getting most of their details about what’s occurring from their telephones, Gangel mentioned, as airline officers at the airport are merely telling passengers there’s an air traffic control subject.

This is a growing story and shall be up to date.



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