Flights halted at DC airports after chemical smell

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it stopped traffic at the three primaryWashington-area airports on Friday after air traffic controllers at a Virginia facility had to halt work because of a strong chemical smell.

Airborne flights were diverting and aircraft on the ground were being held in place, said Flightradar24, a flight tracking site. The issue was snarling traffic during the busy U.S. spring break travel period.

The FAA said the issue disrupted operations at Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control, which controls airspace over numerous airports in theWashingtonregion and had forced the agency to stop traffic at ReaganWashingtonNational Airport,WashingtonDulles InternationalAirport, Baltimore-WashingtonInternational Airportand Richmond International Airport.

Airlines told Reuters the FAA was relocating Potomac controllers to a training facility.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X the FAA was working “to address the source of a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON that is impacting operations.”

Controllers will have reduced radar scopes so more delays are likely once the ground stops are liftedif they relocate to the training facility, airline officials said.

Delays were impacting more than 325 flights, or34% ofarriving and departing flightsatReagan, about 25%, or 180 flights at Baltimore and more than 200 flights at Dulles, accordingto FlightAware, a flight tracking site.