IBNS-CMEDIA: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday morning reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport, just hours after announcing a 10-day shutdown that would have grounded all flights to and from the Texas border city.
In a social media post, the FAA said it had lifted the temporary closure, adding that there was “no threat to commercial aviation” and that normal flight operations would resume.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that the FAA and the Department of Defense “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.”
“The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” Duffy said, confirming that flights were resuming Wednesday morning.
He did not disclose how many drones were involved or provide details on how they were disabled.
Sudden shutdown
The airspace had been closed late Tuesday “for special security reasons,” with restrictions initially expected to remain in place through February 20.
The abrupt 10-day closure would have halted commercial, cargo and general aviation flights, potentially causing major disruptions in the metropolitan region.
El Paso, home to nearly 700,000 people, is a key hub for cross-border commerce with neighboring Ciudad Juárez in Mexico. The restriction did not include Mexican airspace.
The airport had advised travelers to contact airlines for updated flight information following the announcement of the shutdown.
Political and airline response
Representative Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, criticized the lack of advance notice and urged the FAA to lift the restrictions.
“The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community,” Escobar was quoted as saying by the AP, adding that her office had found “no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”
A similar temporary flight restriction had also been imposed over Santa Teresa, New Mexico, about 15 miles northwest of El Paso International Airport.
Southwest Airlines confirmed it had paused operations to and from El Paso at the FAA’s direction.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees,” the airline said in a statement.
El Paso International Airport serves as a major gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico, with airlines including Southwest, United, American and Delta operating regular flights.
