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The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace astir El Paso International Airport successful Texas connected Wednesday morning, conscionable hours aft it announced a 10-day closure that would person grounded each flights to and from the airport.
The FAA announced successful a societal media station that it has lifted the impermanent closure of the airspace implicit El Paso, saying determination was nary menace to commercialized aviation and each flights would resume.
The shutdown was expected to make important disruptions fixed the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a borderline metropolis with a colonisation of astir 700,000 and larger erstwhile the surrounding metro country is included, is simply a hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring metropolis of Ciudad Juárez successful Mexico.
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El Paso airdrome calls itself ‘gateway to West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico’
El Paso International Airport calls itself the “gateway to West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico.”
Forty-three flights, totaling much than 5,900 seats, were scheduled to depart from the airdrome Wednesday, according to aviation analytics steadfast Cirium. Seven departing flights had been canceled arsenic of midday Wednesday, per formation tracker FlightAware — arsenic good arsenic different 7 flights scheduled to get astatine the airport. About a twelve much were delayed.
The bulk of home passengers traveling done El Paso International flying are with Southwest, which the airdrome said accounts for much than 53% of its marketplace stock successful November, the latest period with information available. Other carriers operating retired of the airdrome see American, United, Frontier and Delta.
Cirium recovered that a full of 325,000 passengers flew into and retired of El Paso International successful November. And astatine this clip past year, the steadfast said determination were 229,244 full departing and arriving passengers successful February 2025.
Duckworth blames aerial abstraction closure connected ‘lack of coordination’ by Trump administration
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who is simply a erstwhile Army chopper aviator serving connected committees focused connected aviation and the Armed Services, said this is yet different illustration of “the deficiency of coordination that’s endemic successful this Trump administration.”
Duckworth said she is “hearing present is that it was a CBP and DoD laser based antagonistic drone trial that was not coordinated anterior to them conducting the trial with the FAA. So I person each sorts of questions.”
“They should person coordinated each of that earlier they endangered the flying public,” said Duckworth, the Illinois Democrat.
Pentagon-FAA quality implicit lasers to thwart cartel drones led to airspace closure, AP sources say
The abrupt and astonishing airspace closure implicit El Paso stemmed from the Pentagon’s plans to trial a laser for usage successful shooting down drones utilized by Mexican cause cartels, according to 3 radical acquainted with the concern who were granted anonymity to stock delicate details.
That caused friction with the FAA, which wanted to guarantee commercialized aerial information and the 2 agencies sought to coordinate, according to 2 of the people.
Still, contempt a gathering scheduled aboriginal this period to sermon the issue, the Pentagon wanted to spell up and trial it — prompting the FAA to shutter the airspace. It was not wide if the laser was yet deployed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier that a effect to an incursion by Mexican cartel drones had prompted the airspace closure and that the menace had been neutralized. Drone incursions are not uncommon on the confederate border.
— Seung Min Kim, Ben Finley, Mary Clare Jalonick
Airspace closure throws question plans into chaos connected some sides of border
María Aracelia was pushing 2 roller suitcases crossed the pedestrian span to El Paso Wednesday greeting from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She had a round-trip formation to Illinois scheduled for the afternoon.
“The (U.S.) government’s closure is affecting a batch of radical indirectly who person to permission for concern oregon different reasons,” she said.
She called the hose aft receiving a substance connection saying determination was thing up with her formation astir 4 a.m. section time. The hose told her the airspace would beryllium closed for 10 days.
“So I had to look for alternatives for buses to spell due to the fact that I had to look (for flights) from different airport,” she said. “This is stressful and determination isn’t clip to marque truthful galore changes, particularly if you request to get backmost for work.”
She had conscionable heard the restrictions were lifted, truthful was headed to the El Paso airport.
Rep. Gonzales says a akin shutdown happened past year
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican whose territory stretches on much than 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) of the Texas border, including parts of El Paso, said a akin shutdown happened successful November successful Hudspeth County, which is astir 80 miles (129 kilometers) away.
He called drone enactment by cause cartels a regular acquisition on the border.
“For immoderate of america who amusement unrecorded and enactment on the border, regular drone incursions by transgression organizations is mundane beingness for us. It’s a Wednesday for us,” Gonzales said.
‘Keeping our communities informed and harmless is critical’
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, a Democrat, said successful a connection that helium was demanding answers from the FAA and the Trump medication “about wherefore the airspace was closed successful the archetypal spot without notifying due officials, leaving travelers to woody with unnecessary chaos.”
He added that “keeping our communities informed and harmless is critical.”
Airspace closure redirected aesculapian evacuations to New Mexico
“Medical evacuation flights were forced to divert to Las Cruces,” El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said astatine a Wednesday greeting quality conference. “All aviation operations were grounded, including exigency flights. This was a large and unnecessary disruption, 1 that has not occurred since 9/11.”
Las Cruces is astir 45 miles (72 kilometers) from El Paso.
Johnson added that a important magnitude of indispensable surgical instrumentality en way from Dallas and different parts of the state “did not amusement up present successful El Paso.”
Congresswoman says accusation from national authorities ‘does not adhd up’
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose territory includes El Paso, had urged the FAA to assistance the restrictions successful a connection Wednesday morning, saying neither her office, the metropolis of El Paso nor airdrome operations received beforehand notice.
“I judge the FAA owes the assemblage and the state an mentation arsenic to wherefore this happened truthful abruptly and abruptly and was lifted truthful abruptly and abruptly,” she said during a greeting quality conference, adding that determination was “nothing bonzer astir immoderate drone incursion into the U.S. that I’m alert of.”
Later, she said, “The accusation coming from the national authorities does not adhd up.”
Sheinbaum reports ‘no information’ connected drone usage on the borderline today
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said successful her greeting property briefing that her authorities was going to look into “the nonstop causes of wherefore they closed” the flights.
Asked astir the mentation fixed by U.S. officials, she said, “There is nary accusation astir the usage of drones connected the border.” She noted that if U.S. authorities person much information, they should interaction Mexico’s government.
“There’s nary request for speculation, we’re going to person information, and arsenic always, proceed our imperishable communication” with the U.S., she said.
Mexico and US information officials slated to conscionable successful Washington
Mexican defence and navy secretaries volition conscionable with Northern Command officials successful Washington connected Wednesday successful a gathering attended by respective different countries, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Sheinbaum said during her greeting quality league that Mexican officials would “listen” successful the meeting.
“They are not taking immoderate presumption different than the 1 we already know, which is the defence of sovereignty,” she said. “We volition pass you successful owed course.”
She noted that Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, who has spearheaded her government’s strategy to combat cartels, volition besides conscionable with American information officials tomorrow.
The meetings are portion of ongoing information talks betwixt the 2 governments.
DHS authoritative testified earlier Congress past twelvemonth astir cartel usage of drones
Steven Willoughby, the lawman manager of the counter-drone programme astatine the Department of Homeland Security, told lawmakers successful July that astir each time cartels are utilizing drones to effort to bring drugs crossed the U.S.-Mexico borderline and surveil Border Patrol agents.
More than 27,000 drones were detected wrong 500 meters (1,640 feet) of the confederate borderline successful the past six months of 2024, helium testified, astir flying precocious astatine night.
Homeland Security has said agents person seized thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl and different drugs that cartels person tried to bring crossed the borderline by drone implicit the past fewer years.
How Mexican cartels usage drones
Mexican cartels person agelong utilized drones to postulation drugs, power migrant crossings on the borderline and wage warfare with rival cartels and authorities.
Mexico archetypal issued an planetary alert astir the usage of remote-controlled craft successful 2010, and the signifier has lone continued to expand. Often rigged commercialized drones, the craft connection cartels an vantage to subtly transportation retired their amerciable activities without risking their ain necks similar they would successful the past.
Between 2012 and 2014, U.S. authorities detected 150 remote-controlled craft crossing the borderline with Mexico. A decennary later, successful 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected 10,000 drone incursions successful the Rio Grande Valley country alone, according to a 2025 report.
This study besides indicated that much recently, Mexican cartels look to beryllium inclined to smuggle fentanyl successful drones, which tin transportation up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of cargo.
Southwest Airlines is resuming operations astatine El Paso International Airport
“Our question advisory for customers remains progressive and we promote customers to corroborate their flight’s presumption connected Southwest.com oregon the Southwest app. Nothing is much important to Southwest than the information of its customers and employees,” the hose said successful an updated statement.
‘There is nary information to commercialized question successful the region’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said successful a station connected the societal level X that the FAA and Defense Department “acted swiftly to code a cartel drone incursion. The menace has been neutralized and determination is nary information to commercialized question successful the region.”
He said mean flights are resuming.
Concern and calls for autonomy successful neighboring Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Thor Salayandia, caput of Mexico’s Border Business Association, explained that galore Mexican maquilas — factories that nutrient goods for mostly U.S. consumers — said their businesses beryllium connected the El Paso airdrome to vessel their products.
Salayandia, the caput of his family’s auto-parts manufacturing business, added that Mexican authorities should see bolstering their airdrome successful Juárez truthful arsenic not beryllium arsenic babelike connected the whims of their bluish neighbor, coming connected apical of calls for much economical autonomy successful the aftermath of Trump’s tariff threats.
“Nothing similar this has ever happened successful the region,” helium said. “There’s a batch of confusion.”
An medication authoritative says airspace closure was tied to cartel drones
A Trump medication authoritative said the airspace implicit El Paso was closed aft Mexican cartel drones breached the airspace, but said that the Defense Department took enactment to disable the drones.
Both the FAA and Defense Department person determined determination is nary menace to commercialized travel, said the official, speaking connected information of anonymity to sermon a nationalist information issue.
The authoritative did not accidental however galore drones were progressive oregon what specifically was done to disable them.
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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this study from Washington.
FAA lifts impermanent closure of airspace implicit El Paso
The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace astir El Paso International Airport successful Texas connected Wednesday morning, conscionable hours aft it announced a 10-day closure that would person grounded each flights to and from the airport.
The FAA said successful a societal media station that it has lifted the impermanent closure of the airspace implicit El Paso, saying determination was nary menace to commercialized aviation and that each flights volition resume.
The shutdown announced conscionable hours earlier “for peculiar information reasons” had been expected to make important disruptions fixed the duration and the size of the metropolitan area.
Airport travelers person been near stranded
Local newscasts showed travelers with luggage lining up astatine hose summons counters and car rental desks hours aft flights were grounded successful El Paso.
The closure has near stranded travelers with fewer adjacent options. The closest large U.S. airdrome is successful Albuquerque, New Mexico, much than 270 miles (434.5 kilometers) away.
El Paso borders Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez is location to astir 1.5 cardinal people. Like galore border-spanning communities, immoderate residents are accustomed to utilizing facilities similar airports connected some sides of the border, depending connected wherever they are traveling.
The metropolis exploded successful size successful caller decades arsenic escaped commercialized agreements spurred a roar successful assembly plants that connection less-expensive labour and the vantage of casual entree to the U.S. market. Nearly 97% of the goods produced successful Juarez’s plants spell to the United States, according to Mexico’s Economic Ministry.
That casual entree to the U.S. has besides made Juarez, similar different borderline cities, charismatic to Mexico’s cause cartels that question power successful bid to safeguard their smuggling routes for drugs and migrants headed northbound and currency and guns coming south.
The Pentagon referred questions to the FAA
When asked if the prohibition was related to U.S. subject operations, the Pentagon referred remark to the FAA successful an email.
Southwest Airlines issues statement
Southwest Airlines said successful the connection that it has paused each operations to and from El Paso astatine the absorption of the FAA.
“We person notified affected customers and volition stock further accusation arsenic it becomes available,” Southwest Airlines said. “Nothing is much important to Southwest than the information of its customers and employees.”
Democrat lawmaker says nary informing was fixed for the restriction
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose territory includes El Paso, urged the FAA to assistance the restrictions successful a connection Wednesday morning. There was nary beforehand announcement fixed to her office, the metropolis of El Paso oregon airdrome operations, she said.
“The highly consequential determination by FAA to unopen down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted successful important interest wrong the community,” Escobar said. “From what my bureau and I person been capable to stitchery overnight and aboriginal this greeting determination is nary contiguous menace to the assemblage oregon surrounding areas.”
Santa Teresa airspace besides closed
A akin impermanent formation regularisation for peculiar information reasons implicit the aforesaid clip play was imposed astir Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is astir 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of the El Paso airport.
FAA closes airspace astir El Paso for 10 days, citing ‘special information reasons’
The Federal Aviation Administration is closing the airspace astir El Paso International Airport successful Texas for 10 days, grounding each flights to and from the airport.
A announcement posted connected the FAA’s website said the impermanent formation restrictions were for “special information reasons,” but did not supply further details. The closure does not see Mexican airspace.
The airdrome said successful an Instagram station that each flights to and from the airdrome would beryllium grounded from precocious Tuesday done precocious connected Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and wide aviation flights. It suggested travelers interaction their airlines to get up-to-date formation information.
The shutdown is apt to make important disruptions fixed the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a borderline metropolis with a colonisation of astir 700,000 and larger erstwhile you see the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juárez successful Mexico.
The airdrome describes itself arsenic the gateway to westbound Texas, confederate New Mexico and bluish Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta each run flights there, among others.
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