FAA Lifts El Paso Airspace Closure After ‘Cartel Drone Incursion’
Photo Credit: The terminal building at El Paso International Airport, Texas. El Paso International Airport
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The initial 10-day shutdown of a U.S. commercial airport for unspecified “special security reasons” was highly unusual. The Trump administration has said the closure was necessary because a cartel drone breached U.S. airspace.
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted an airspace closure at El Paso Wednesday morning, just hours after it abruptly halted all flights to and from the city.
"The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted," the FAA said in a post on X. "There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal."
Earlier, the agency issued a Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, shutting down commercial operations at El Paso International Airport for what it described as “special security reasons.”
The restrictions was scheduled to remain in place until 11:30 p.m. local time on February 20.
https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/2021583720465969421Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X the closure was necessary to "address a cartel drone incursion."
"The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial trave
