By Karmina Conde
The Federal Aviation Administration shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas, Tuesday night, a decision that caused confusion to local officials, travelers and the city’s mayor. Less than eight hours later, the shutdown was lifted but confusion remains.
“This unnecessary decision has caused chaos and confusion in the El Paso community,”
Mayor Renard Johnson said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
At 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, the FAA issued a temporary flight restriction that immediately grounded all flights up to 18,000 feet around the city for 10 days, shutting down El Paso International Airport.
The restriction was lifted shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, though many airlines had already issued travel waivers and notified travelers of potential changes in their flights.
In a social media statement, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said a cartel drone had breached U.S. airspace, causing the temporary closure of El Paso International Airport and airspace.
Two Trump administration officials said the shutdown was prompted by the U.S. Defense Department’s use of new counter-drone technology and concerns about potential risks. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her daily conference that her administration didn’t have information about the use of drones around the border in recent days.
The FAA confirmed the restriction was tied to military activity in the area and stated there was no threat to commercial aviation.
Rep. Veronica Escobar told ABC-7 the sudden decision by the FAA to shut down the airport for 10 days resulted in a “significant concern in the community.”
“There was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations,” Escobar said in a press release.
The lack of notice drew criticism from multiple elected officials across the border region, including Mayor Johnson and New Mexico’s Rep. Gabe Vasquez.
“I want to be very, very clear that this should’ve never happened. You cannot restrict air space over a major city without coordinating with the city, the airport, the hospitals and the community leadership,” Johnson said.
Vasquez released a statement saying the airspace around Santa Teresa could remain closed for 10 days.
“There are standard rules and procedures for how our airspace is controlled, including when the Department of Defense is conducting any testing in our region,” Vasquez said. “These procedures keep Americans safe and prevent disruption to civil airspace.”
El Paso International Airport was operating normally as of the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 11.
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