The sudden closure of airspace around El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday night was the result of a military operation involving cartel drones, the Trump administration said.
Hours after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a 10-day ban on all commercial flights in the area surrounding El Paso International Airport, the restriction was lifted. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the airspace had been closed in response to a drone incursion.
“The FAA and DOD acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” Duffy wrote on X on Wednesday, Feb. 11. “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.”
The announcement prompted questions about why the initial flight ban was set to last 10 days. No additional explanation has been provided.
At 8:32 p.m. local time Tuesday, the FAA issued a NOTAM (“notice to airmen”) stating that no pilots could operate an aircraft in the affected area for “special security reasons.”
The agency also warned that the federal government “may use deadly force” if an aircraft violating the restriction is determined to pose “an imminent security threat,” according to The New York Times. The FAA did not provide further details. NBC News reported that the NOTAM described the airspace as national defense airspace.
The restriction was originally scheduled to run from Feb. 10 through 11:30 p.m. local time on Friday, Feb. 20, raising concerns about potential disruptions at a major transit hub.
El Paso Airport said in a statement shared with The New York Times that the FAA issued the restriction “on short notice” and that the airport was awaiting further guidance.
Texas state Rep. Vince Perez of El Paso told the outlet, “I have never heard of an American airspace being shut down for 10 days, absent a major emergency.”
However, the FAA later said the closure had been lifted. In a post on X at 6:54 a.m. local time Wednesday, the agency 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.”
