DC flight operations resume after ‘chemical odour’ at ATC centre triggers massive ground stop

WASHINGTON: Flight operations across the Washington, DC region resumed following a temporary suspension triggered by reports of a “chemical odour” at a key air traffic control facility.

In a post on X on Friday, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the resolution of the incident, stating, “The ground stop is over and operations have resumed”. He further noted that emergency services had cleared the site, adding, “Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirm there is no danger to air traffic controllers”.

UPDATE: The ground stop is over and operations have resumed.

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… https://t.co/6DwPLPw0OE

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 14, 2026

The disruption initially threw air travel across the region into chaos, halting arrivals and departures at several major hubs. According to Duffy, “The temporary ground stop affected Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and Richmond International Airport (RIC).”

Following the safety clearance, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the emergency status to ground delays, with authorities confirming that services are gradually returning to regular schedules.

Providing further context on X, Secretary Duffy explained that the disruptions stemmed from the “temporary closure of a crucial air traffic control centre in Virginia” after “FAA employees reported a strong chemical smell in the building”. This facility, Potomac TRACON in Warrenton, manages the airspace for the entire region.

Emergency services and a HAZMAT team eventually found that the issue was “traced to a circuit board that had overheated and was subsequently replaced”. Following the repairs, over 30 FAA staff members were medically assessed and cleared to return to their posts.
Despite the site being deemed safe, the fallout has been extensive. CNN reported that flight cancellations are beginning to “tick upward” as crews exceed their legal working hour limits. Reagan National has been the hardest hit, recording over 136 cancellations and 300 delays.

According to CNN, travellers were seen “sprawled out on the floor” on Friday evening as they awaited updates. The network further reported that many passengers are relying on their mobile devices for information, as airline staff are broadly citing an “air traffic control issue” without further detail.

One passenger, Kristen Rodrigues, described a frustrating ordeal to CNN, explaining that she remained on the tarmac for three hours before being returned to the terminal.

“Two hours go by, we’re still on the runway — no updates — and I could see that the pilots are pretty frustrated,” Rodrigues said, noting she had only received two official notifications from her carrier throughout the afternoon.

While the ground stop has been lifted, the recovery process remains slow. Data indicates that delays at Reagan reached over three and a half hours, while Dulles and Baltimore saw hold-ups of three hours and two and a half hours, respectively.

By late Friday night, average delay times decreased to approximately 90 minutes. However, travel schedules across the DC area are expected to remain volatile through the weekend. (ANI)