In brief
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed the airspace over El Paso, Texas, for a period of ten days starting from February 11, citing 'special security reasons.' Flights at El Paso International Airport will be grounded, causing significant disruption for travelers. Local officials were blindsided by the decision, with no advance notice or detailed explanation provided on the reasons for this unusual airspace restriction.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed the airspace surrounding the Texas border town of El Paso for 10 days. Local authorities including the El Paso International Airport and City of El Paso government confirmed flights would not take off or land from Tuesday at 11:30pm (Wednesday 0630GMT) to February 20 at 11:30pm, (February 21 at 0630GMT).City Council member Chris Canales, who represents an area on the southwestern side of El Paso, told the BBC local authorities did not receive any advance notice or reason for the closure. The FAA said in a statement that the restrictions were for special security reasons. Long-term airspace closures are rare, according to the FAA, which has stated that it has cut airspace closures from an average of more than four hours per launch to just more than two hours since 2018.The restriction covers a 10-mile radius around El Paso, which includes parts of southern New Mexico, west of the town San Teresa. Canales noted that the notice was published without any advance notice to local governments or to local air traffic controllers, leading to some public panic regarding the unusual situation.Along with its geographical significance, El Paso is located adjacent to Mexico's Ciudad Juarez to the south and west, while US Army post Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range lie to the north. Fort Bliss is primarily focused on training while White Sands is known as the country's largest overland testing range for missiles and advanced weaponry. The El Paso International Airport confirmed that all flights, encompassing commercial, cargo, and general aviation, have been grounded, urging travelers to contact their airlines for the latest flight status information.
