Flights at Richmond International, other airports halted due to ‘strong odor’ at radar facility
VENN
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A "strong odor" coming from an area radar facility has grounded four airports on Friday, including Richmond International Airport (RIC).
The evening of Friday, March 13, a "strong odor" was observed at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON) facility, according to U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy.
The Potomac TRACON is the air traffic control facility that oversees the airspace in both the Baltimore-Washington and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas.
Four area airports have been placed on a grounded stop due to this odor while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigates, including RIC in Henrico County.
A spokesperson for RIC told 8News that between six and nine of its flights are grounded.
The other three impacted airports include:
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Loudoun County
- Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
The FAA is currently investigating the source of the odor.
For the most up-to-date information on flights, click here.
