Just hours after announcing that the airspace over El Paso, Texas, would be closed for the next 10 days, the FAA has apparently reversed itself and lifted the restriction.
The agency issued an order late Tuesday that effectively halted all passenger, cargo, and general aviation flights to and from El Paso International Airport. Officials cited “special security reasons” and did not elaborate.
On Wednesday morning, however, the FAA dropped the flight restriction.
“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted,” the agency wrote on X. “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”
Separately, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provided the federal government’s first explanation for the shutdown.
“The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” Duffy wrote on X. “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.”
El Paso International Airport had indicated that all flights would be paused until 11:30 p.m. local time on Feb. 20. Travelers were told to contact their airlines for more information.
It is highly unusual for the FAA to close the airspace over a major U.S. city. El Paso’s proximity to Mexico and Fort Bliss prompted speculation online that the Trump administration could be gearing up to strike drug cartels south of the border, but neither the White House nor the military made any statements to that effect.
The New York Times reported that just over 1,000 flights scheduled into and out of El Paso were set to be canceled during the closure period.
