The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced late Wednesday that it has lifted the temporary airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, just hours after it was imposed.
In a post on X, the FAA said: “The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”
Earlier, the FAA had issued a temporary flight restriction on Wednesday, halting all flights to and from El Paso International Airport and parts of southern New Mexico for 10 days, citing “special security reasons.”
The restriction, which came into effect February 11 at 0630 UTC, was to remain in place until the same time on February 21, covering the airspace over El Paso and the neighbouring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
The temporary restrictions were extended across a 10-nautical-mile radius around the city and up to an altitude of 17,999 feet, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the FAA. “No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,” the official notice said.
According to Axios, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) abruptly closed the airspace around El Paso, Texas, over concerns that military activity near the border could pose a risk to civilian flights, according to two sources familiar with the decision. The closure, which sparked alarm among residents and caught local leaders off guard, was later lifted. Even officials at Fort Bliss said they were unaware of any threat.
According to sources, the FAA’s sudden 10-day restriction followed the Pentagon’s inability to meet the FAA’s standards for guaranteeing the safety of civilian aircraft. An administration official told Axios that the military had been responding to drone activity linked to Mexican cartels, though other officials and media outlets have offered conflicting accounts.
Early reports cited by Axios suggest the incident stemmed from a communications breakdown between the FAA and the Pentagon. An Army spokesperson told Axios that the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss was not tracking any threat prior to the closure, stating: “We think we’re safe on the base at the moment. There wasn’t anything we were tracking.”
The airport operator said in a travel advisory posted on its official Facebook and Instagram accounts that all commercial, cargo and general aviation flights had been grounded and advised travellers to contact their airlines for updates. An airport operator who answered the phone early Wednesday also confirmed that all flights had been halted because of an FAA order, according to The New York Times.
The airport said the restriction had been issued “on short notice” and that it was awaiting further guidance from the FAA, according to a statement cited by CNN affiliate KFOX. In a notice, the FAA said the federal government “may use deadly force” if an aircraft violating the airspace is determined to pose “an imminent security threat”, The New York Times reported.
Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, said he had no clear information about the situation. “Sorry, I don’t have some clear answer,” Mr Castro said early Wednesday. When asked if the move was surprising, he replied, “Yes.” Texas State Representative Vincent Perez of El Paso said he had no information about the restriction and added, “I have never heard of an American airspace being shutdown for 10 days, absent a major emergency,” according to The New York Times.
El Paso International Airport serves a large area of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, The New York Times noted.
