FAA Reopens El Paso Airspace After Brief Closure Over Mexican Cartel Drones Incursion

FAA Reopens El Paso Airspace After Brief Closure Over Mexican Cartel Drones Incursion

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after announcing a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights in and out of the airport.

In a statement posted on social media, the FAA confirmed that the temporary flight restriction had been lifted, stating there was no threat to commercial aviation and that normal flight operations would resume immediately.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA and the Department of Defense “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.” He added that the threat had been neutralized and there was no danger to commercial travel in the region. However, officials did not disclose how many drones were involved or the specific measures taken to disable them.

The earlier shutdown, described as necessary for “special security reasons,” had raised concerns due to its planned 10-day duration and the significance of the El Paso metropolitan area. The city, home to nearly 700,000 residents and a key hub for cross-border commerce with neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, relies heavily on the airport for commercial, cargo and general aviation traffic.

The brief closure applied only to U.S. airspace and did not extend into Mexico.

Following the initial announcement late Tuesday, the airport said all flights — including commercial, cargo and private aircraft — would be grounded through February 20 and advised travelers to check with their airlines for updates.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, urged the FAA to reconsider the restriction. She said neither her office nor local authorities had received advance notice of the decision.

“The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community,” Escobar said. She added that information gathered overnight indicated there was no immediate threat to the surrounding area.

Southwest Airlines confirmed it had paused operations to and from El Paso at the FAA’s direction, notifying affected passengers and pledging further updates as needed. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees,” the airline said in a statement.

A similar temporary flight restriction was also imposed over Santa Teresa, New Mexico, about 15 miles northwest of El Paso, for the same time period.

El Paso International Airport serves as a key gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico, with major carriers including Southwest, United, American and Delta operating regular flights.

Flights resumed Wednesday morning following the lifting of the restriction.