Flights resume at BWI after hourslong ground stop sparked by odor at air traffic control center

The biggest airports in the Baltimore and Washington area were on a ground delay after hours of halted flights Friday sparked by a “strong chemical smell” at the region’s air traffic control facility, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said in an email.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport had been at a ground stop since just before 5 p.m. due to issues at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control, which is based in Warrenton, Virginia.

Around 7:45 p.m. Friday, the airports were under a ground delay until 11:59 p.m. Friday at Reagan and 12:59 a.m. Saturday at BWI and Dulles.

Jonathan Dean, a spokesperson for BWI, said in an email around 8 p.m. Friday that airlines would resume regular operations and begin to depart.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy confirmed the ground stop was over shortly before 9 p.m. Friday.

Around 5:46 p.m. Friday, Fauquier County Fire Rescue System was notified of a potential hazardous materials incident at the facility, according to a news release. FAA personnel reported a strong smell of chemicals in the center, and over 30 of them were evaluated, Fauquier County fire officials said.

Fauquier County Fire Rescue System Chief Kalvyn Smith said in a statement people were “experiencing mild symptoms from an odor in the building” but none of them required medical transport.

“A Hazmat Team from mutual aid partner Prince William County was requested. The Hazardous Materials team identified a faulty building monitor being worked on by a contractor,” Smith said.

The area was deemed safe and normal for operations to resume, and there was no effect to nearby homes or businesses, Fauquier County fire officials said.

Lockheed Martin built the Potomac Consolidated TRACON in December 2002 to manage flight operations at the major D.C.-area airports and Andrews Air Force Base. The facility is owned and operated by the FAA.

When it was built, Lockheed Martin said the operation was made to handle more than 2 million flights every year. Similar facilities have been built in regions where there are multiple large airports or busy airways to consolidate communications among air traffic controllers.

BWI on Friday evening was buzzing with discontent. A group of travelers discussed buying Amtrak tickets to get to their destination but met with disappointment upon the realization that all trains were booked.

Stranded travelers flocked to the sit-down dining options in the airport or stayed by their gates, saving spots in coveted chairs — many were sitting on the floor because of the overcrowding in the terminal.

Merrilee Hertlein, a Dallas resident hoping to get back to Texas, said the Southwest workers on her flight didn’t tell passengers why they couldn’t board. In fact, she heard about the ground stoppage only after checking her boarding time — which switched from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. with no explanation.

“Maybe they don’t want to panic people,” she said. “But we haven’t been told anything. It’s honestly quite concerning.”

Though Jesse O’Donnell was worried about the ground stoppage, he was trying to stay positive.

“I feel like there’s been a lot of weird issues with flights lately,” he said.

O’Donnell, his wife and his daughter, Lyra, stopped at BWI on a connecting flight from Phoenix to Hartford, Connecticut. They’re from Hatfield, a small town in western Massachusetts.

“I’ve come to expect the worst and hope for the best,” O’Donnell said while holding Lyra. “If I’m having to find a hotel in a few hours with a baby, I’ll probably be singing a different tune.”

An attendant on a flight to Pittsburgh announced just before 7 p.m. that the plane would be boarding in about five minutes, which caused cheers to erupt in the boarding area.

This article has been updated.