• Flights halted at four major U.S. airports due to strong chemical odor

Operations at four key airports serving Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond were temporarily suspended Friday evening for over an hour after a strong chemical smell disrupted air traffic controllers. The delay affected roughly a quarter to a third of departing flights.

The impacted airports included Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and Richmond International Airport. In some of the busiest terminals, delays reached nearly two hours.

Flights gradually resumed after 7 p.m. Eastern Time, though the landing restrictions – which had prevented planes from touching down – remained in place for a short period.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the odor originated from the Potomac Radar Approach Control center, which manages air traffic for the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond-Charlottesville areas. The FAA did not provide further details on how the chemical smell affected air traffic controllers during the incident.