Ground stop issued for all three Washington D.C.-area airports after ‘strong chemical smell’ detected | 13 March 2026 | A ground stop was issued for all three major airports serving the Washington, D.C. area on Friday afternoon. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport were all affected. Officials later said the disruption was linked to a “strong chemical smell” detected at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, commonly known as Potomac TRACON, which oversees air traffic in the region. Because of the issue, the FAA ordered a ground stop that appeared set to remain in place until at least 10pm. In a statement, the agency said flights were temporarily halted at Reagan National (DCA), Dulles (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) due to the odor at the Potomac TRACON facility, which was affecting some air traffic controllers.