The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops for several airports in the Washington, D.C., area Friday evening because of a “strong smell” at an air traffic control center.
Temporary ground stops were issued for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport and Richmond International Airport, an FAA spokesperson said.
These ground stops were issued around 6:40 p.m. local time and lifted less than two hours later.
The “strong smell” was reported at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control, or TRACON, in Warrenton, Virginia, an agency spokesperson told The Independent.
It’s still unclear what caused the odor. The Independent has requested more information from the FAA.
FlightAware data shows that more than 170 flights were delayed at Baltimore’s airport on Friday. More than 200 flights were also delayed at Dulles, along with more than 300 flights at Reagan National, according to the flight tracking website.
This comes as travelers are already facing long security lines at airports across the country due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
This comes about two weeks after a “strong odor” was reported at the same air traffic control center, triggering ground stops at nearby airports. More than 30 FAA employees were evaluated, but none were taken to the hospital.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the March 13 incident was caused by an overheated circuit board.
“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,” he wrote on X. “The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced.”
Passengers in Washington-area airports reported lengthy delays in the aftermath. At the time, passenger Kristen Rodrigues told CNN her flight to Chicago was delayed for hours thanks to the ground stops.
“Two hours go by, we’re still on the runway – no updates – and I could see that the pilots are pretty frustrated,” she said.
