YOU HAVE BEEN THERE ALL DAY, KATE. WHAT DO WE KNOW RIGHT NOW? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THIS MAY COME AS A SURPRISE TO ALL THE TICKETED PASSENGERS WHO ARE STANDING AROUND US HERE, BECAUSE THINGS ARE GOING AS THEY HAVE BEEN. IT LOOKS LIKE BUSINESS AS USUAL. EVERYONE’S GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY CHECKPOINTS, NO LINES. BUT WE ARE FOLLOWING THIS BREAKING NEWS THAT OUR GROUND STOP HAS BEEN ISSUED HERE AT BWI THURGOOD MARSHALL AIRPORT. IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE FAA. THE FAA IS SAYING IT’S BECAUSE OF AN EQUIPMENT OUTAGE. IT WILL LAST UNTIL SEVEN TONIGHT, BUT ALSO SAYS IT COULD BE EXTENDED. THE FAA IS ALSO SAYING THAT OTHER AIRPORTS ON THE EAST COAST ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS, INCLUDING DULLES, REAGAN AND THE AIRPORT IN RICHMOND. WE HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM PASSENGERS WHO ARE STUCK ON PLANES OUT ON THE TARMAC, AND THEY ARE TELLING US THAT THE GROUND STOP IS DUE TO A FIRE AT THE POTOMAC CONTROL CENTER. NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH BWI S TOWER. HOWEVER, WE JUST SPOKE WITH THE FAA AND THE FAA JUST CONFIRMED THEY DIDN’T SAY IT ISN’T A FIRE, BUT THEY SAID THIS IS BECAUSE OF A, QUOTE, STRONG CHEMICAL SMELL AT THE POTOMAC CONTROL CENTER. THAT’S APPARENTLY IMPACTING SOME OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. AGAIN, THERE IS A GROUND STOP THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED AT BWI, REAGAN, RICHMOND, DULLES AND OTHER AIRPORTS ON THE EAST COAST. IT’S BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF EQUIPMENT OUTAGE OR POSSIBLE STRONG CHEMICAL SMELL THAT’S TAKING PLACE AT THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER. THE POTOMAC CONTROL CENTER, WHICH DOES CONTROL MUCH OF THE AIRSPACE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC. WE HAVE SEEN TONS OF SCHOOL GROUPS. WE SAW THE MARYLAND MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM ALL GO THROUGH SECURITY. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHECKPOINT. WHAT IT’S LIKE THERE IS THERE WAITING BY THE GATE OR ON THE PLANES, OUT AT THE OUT IN THE TARMAC. BUT WE DO KNOW NOTHING’S COMING IN OR OUT OF BWI RIGHT NOW. WE’RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THIS AND WE’LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AS SO
A strong chemical smell forces a 1-hour flight halt at 4 major DC-area airports
Four airports serving Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, Virginia, halted all flights on Friday evening for over an hour because of a strong chemical smell that was impeding air traffic controllers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.The ground stop affected Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Richmond International Airport, FAA Secretary Sean Duffy announced on social media Friday. The declaration caused flight delays to soar to roughly two hours across some of the busiest airports in the country.Flights began to leave the airports after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, but the ground stop — which prevents planes from landing at an airport — remained in place.The smell was coming from Potomac TRACON, Duffy wrote, referring to a terminal radar approach control facility that manages air traffic for the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Virginia, and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas, according to the FAA website.A spokesperson for the federal agency didn’t respond to an emailed question clarifying how the smell was affecting traffic controllers on Friday evening.Between 25% and one-third of all flights departing from the four airports affected were delayed after the ground stop.
Four airports serving Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, Virginia, halted all flights on Friday evening for over an hour because of a strong chemical smell that was impeding air traffic controllers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The ground stop affected Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Richmond International Airport, FAA Secretary Sean Duffy announced on social media Friday. The declaration caused flight delays to soar to roughly two hours across some of the busiest airports in the country.
Flights began to leave the airports after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, but the ground stop — which prevents planes from landing at an airport — remained in place.
The smell was coming from Potomac TRACON, Duffy wrote, referring to a terminal radar approach control facility that manages air traffic for the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Virginia, and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas, according to the FAA website.
A spokesperson for the federal agency didn’t respond to an emailed question clarifying how the smell was affecting traffic controllers on Friday evening.
Between 25% and one-third of all flights departing from the four airports affected were delayed after the ground stop.
