US EditionFAA Lifts 10-Day El Paso Airspace Closure Hours After Announcement
- On Feb. 11, the Federal Aviation Administration abruptly lifted a planned 10-day closure of El Paso International Airport hours after halting flights for `Special Security Reasons`.
- Separately, a government official told NBC News that a Trump administration official said Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace, and the Defense Department disabled them, while the FAA did not explain the restrictions.
- LiveATC.net recorded an air traffic control exchange showing El Paso air traffic controller notified staff about 30 minutes to an hour before the restriction, saying, `Just be advised I guess there’s a TFR going into effect.`
- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said the airport closure was `highly consequential` and `unprecedented`, with no notice given to her office, the City of El Paso, or local airport operations, warning the economic hit `could be $40-50 million or more`.
- El Paso International handled 3.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025 and serves major U.S. carriers including Southwest, Delta, United and American, near Ciudad Juárez.
195 Articles
195 Articles
Denton Record-Chronicle
sanangelolive.comEl Paso airspace reopened after FAA quickly rescinds 10-day flight restrictions
The Federal Aviation Administration reopened airspace over El Paso and part of southern New Mexico on Wednesday morning after shutting it down for a few hours overnight amid an announcement there would be no flights for 10 days. The White…
Santa Teresa, NM— Although operations at El Paso International Airport began to normalize, airspace in the Santa Teresa area, New Mexico—a city adjacent to El Paso—is still closed and could remain so for up to 10 days, according to recent statements by federal congressman Gabe Vasquez. The legislator issued an update on the decision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close regional airspace beforehand.
FAA causes whiplash with El Paso airspace closure: What to know
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily closed the airspace over El Paso, Texas, and southern New Mexico on Wednesday morning, prompting disruptions for travelers and questions from lawmakers. The FAA initially imposed a 10-day stoppage, effective at 1:30 a.m. EST Wednesday, on flights into and out of El Paso International Airport (ELP) and the Doña [...]
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unexpectedly closed the airspace over El Paso, Texas, a city near the Mexican border and a known center of drug trafficking, US media reported on Tuesday. The closure, initially expected to last 10 days, sparked speculation and criticism, but the FAA reopened the airspace within hours.
Why should the airspace be blocked over El Paso in Texas for ten days? The U.S. Transport Minister later spoke of an shut-down drone, a democratic MP doubting the presentation.
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