UPDATE from Sec. Sean Duffy: 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 board that overheated, and it was replaced.
A ground stop has been issued for several major airports in the region after a reported odor at a key air traffic control facility disrupted operations Friday evening.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that a ground stop was put in place at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), and Richmond International Airport (RIC). In a post on social media, Duffy said the FAA is “working to address the source of a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON that is impacting operations at the three airports.”
Potomac TRACON, the FAA facility responsible for managing air traffic in and around the Washington, D.C. region, reported the odor earlier in the evening, prompting the temporary halt of departures at the affected airports while the situation is investigated. Travelers are being advised to check directly with their airlines or the FAA’s flight status system for the latest updates as officials work to resolve the issue.
