Chemical Odor at Air Traffic Control Center Disrupts D.C. and Baltimore Flights

A strong chemical smell at a major air traffic control facility in Virginia grounded flights and caused lengthy delays at three Washington-area airports on the evening of Friday, March 13, 2026. The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport after the odor was detected at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control facility in Warrenton, Virginia. The FAA confirmed the incident was triggered by a "strong chemical smell" at the facility that affected air traffic controllers on duty. The simultaneous closure of all three major airports serving the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area created a cascading effect on flight operations across the region.

The disruption extended beyond domestic air travel, with at least one international flight forced to alter its route as a result of the closures. A Swiss International Air Lines flight was diverted to New York after it was unable to land at its intended Washington-area destination. The incident, occurring on a Friday evening, compounded the impact on travelers, as weekend departure volumes typically run high at the three affected airports. Delays described as lengthy rippled through schedules at Ronald Reagan Washington National, Dulles, and Baltimore/Washington International.

The Potomac TRACON facility in Warrenton, Virginia, manages one of the most complex and high-density airspace regions in the United States, overseeing traffic not only for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area but also the Washington Special Flight Rules Area, the Baltimore area, and the Richmond-Charlottesville area. Disruptions at the facility have an outsized effect on air travel because it serves as the central coordination point for multiple major airports simultaneously. The FAA, operating within the U.S. Department of Transportation, holds authority over air traffic control operations and can issue ground stops when safety conditions at control facilities are compromised.

The source of the chemical odor had not been publicly identified in initial reports following the incident. Authorities did not immediately confirm whether the smell posed a health risk to the controllers or other personnel at the Warrenton facility. The FAA's decision to halt ground operations at all three airports reflected the direct impact the odor had on the controllers responsible for managing the region's airspace. No confirmed information was available on how long the ground stops remained in effect or the total number of flights affected across the three airports.