Why Most Airports in the DC Area Are Shut Down Right Now

Matt Vespa | March 13, 2026 6:38 PM

This afternoon, ground stops were issued for Washington-Dulles, Reagan National, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and Richmond International Airport, initially due to “equipment shortages.” Yet, that seemed a bit odd that it would strike all these airports at the same time, no? Well, we know the real reason: there’s a strong odor emanating from the Potomac TRACON facility, which controls all DC airspace. It’s located in Warrenton, Virginia (via Fox 5 DC):

🚨BREAKING🚨 GROUND STOP CURRENTLY AT THE FOLLOWING AIRPORTS:

⚠️ Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
⚠️ Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
⚠️ Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)⁰⚠️ Richmond International Airport (RIC)@FAANews is working to…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 13, 2026

The FAA has clarified that the stops are due to a "strong chemical smell" impacting the local air traffic control facility.
The ground stop was issued Friday afternoon and appears to be in effect until at least 7 p.m.
What they're saying:
The FAA issued a statement Friday afternoon. They say the ground stop is due to a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON.
"The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers. Monitor fly.faa.gov for real-time updates," The statement reads.
Dig deeper:
According to the FAA, the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON) PCT provides air traffic control service to the Baltimore-Washington and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas.
They control the airspace over Joint Base Andrews, BWI, Reagan, Dulles, Richmond and many other area airports.