A ground stop issued at several airports in the Washington, D.C., region on Friday has been lifted after a chemical odor disrupted air traffic control operations. "The ground stop is over and operations have resumed," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X. "Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirm there is no danger to air traffic controllers." The temporary ground stop affected Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and Richmond International Airport (RIC), according to Duffy. MAJOR AIRPORTS ISSUE GROUND STOPS DUE TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER STAFFING SHORTAGES AMID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNTRACON, located in Warrenton, Virginia, provides air traffic control services across the Baltimore-Washington and Richmond-Charlottesville areas, according to FOX 5.

Source: Fox News March 14, 2026 13:37 UTC