Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a ground stop at four U.S. airports due to an issue at a traffic control facility. “@FAANews is working to address the source of a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON that is impacting operations at the three airports,” Duffy said. The ground stop impacts the following airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) Richmond International Airport (RIC) 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 FOX 5 DC has more: The FAA’s website indicates Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport are all experiencing an “equipment outage.” 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. 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 FAA statement read. GROUND STOP AT ALL DC AREA AIRPORTS “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… pic.twitter.com/kDN7uPJ9eK — The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) March 13, 2026 In related news, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport had a ground stop Friday morning due to snow. A ground stop is underway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday morning. https://t.co/3576eAFXDA — FOX 13 Seattle (@fox13seattle) March 13, 2026 FOX 13 Seattle noted: The Federal Aviation Administration announced after 9 a.m. that departures from Sea-Tac Airport were delayed due to snow and ice. As of 1 p.m., Sea-Tac had 70 flight delays and 27 cancelations. A ground delay is in effect until 10:59 p.m., and the average delay is about one hour. SEA Airport spokesperson Perry Cooper told FOX 13 Seattle that there is a ground stop until 3 p.m. for arriving flights. Perry said travelers should stay in contact with their airlines if their flight is affected. Snow continues to fall in the lowlands, and the FOX 13 Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day for the morning.

WASHINGTON—Planes have been grounded at all three Washington, D.C.-area airports after a strong chemical smell forced workers to evacuate the region’s air traffic control center. Flights were abruptly grounded at Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore-Washington International Airports late Friday, and inbound flights were diverted, causing major delays at one of the nation’s largest air travel hubs. It is unclear what caused the smell, or how long the airports will remain locked down. Flights were also grounded at Richmond International Airport.