WASHINGTON (7News) — Ground stops were issued for multiple airports across the D.C. region after an air traffic control facility in Virginia was evacuated, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The disruption is affecting Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), as well as airports in Charlottesville and Richmond.
FAA alerts show flights could be delayed or held in the air for up to an hour.
Officials said the issue stems from an “environmental” incident at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility in Warrenton, Virginia, which manages a large portion of the region’s airspace.
The facility oversees roughly 20,000 square miles of complex airspace, making it a critical hub for flights in and out of the nation’s capital.
The incident comes as travelers are already facing long lines and delays, possibly worsening conditions at area airports.
The FAA has not released further details about the evacuation.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
