The Federal Aviation Administration has ended a temporary closure of airspace over El Paso International Airport that had grounded flights for what was initially announced as a 10-day period due to special security reasons.
In a statement posted 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.”
The restrictions, which affected all commercial, cargo, and general aviation operations, began at 11:30 p.m. MST on Feb. 10 and were set to last until 11:30 p.m. MST on Feb. 20, according to agency documents. Mexican airspace was not impacted.
El Paso airport officials confirmed the grounding early Wednesday, directing further inquiries to the FAA, which initially offered no further explanation for the security measures. The planned length of the closure would have made it among the longest non-weather airport halts in recent years, disrupting travel and shipments in a border metropolitan area home to nearly 900,000 people.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat representing El Paso, addressed the situation in an Instagram post early Wednesday morning, saying: “Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community. From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.
“There was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations. We have urged the FAA to immediately lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area. I will continue to make information public as I learn it.”
Shortly after she posted the message, the FAA issued a notice that the closure had been lifted.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy then posted a message to social media offering insight into the disruption.
“The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming,” he wrote.
He did not immediately give any details about the drone incursion or how the situation had been “addressed.”
