Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and both D.C.-area airports were shut down for hours Friday by a ground stop that was ordered after a “strong chemical smell” at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in Virginia impacted operations.
The ground stop originally came into effect around 5:30 p.m. at Reagan National, Dulles International and BWI airports, as well as the Charlottesville-Albemarle and Richmond International airports. The order was lifted about two hours later, but the airports continued to face ground delays through the evening.
In a statement to WTOP, the FAA said the ground stops were due to a “strong chemical smell” at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control in Virginia, affecting some air traffic controllers. No injuries were reported…