FAA initially cited ‘security reasons’ for shutting off skies around El Paso airport in area along border with Mexico
The top US aviation agency has lifted a surprise 10-day closure of airspace above the US-Mexico border town of El Paso, Texas, just hours after it abruptly announced that it would close off the skies for “special security reasons”, without providing further explanation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) posted the “temporary flight restriction” notice on its website late on Tuesday local time, stating that a 10-nautical-mile circle up to 18,000ft around El Paso international airport in Texas would be off limits for all commercial, cargo and general aviation flights.
“No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered,” the FAA said. The closure will remain in place until 20 February, and the notice warned the government “may use deadly force” against a pilot who does not comply with the instructions.
But by Wednesday morning, and after hours of mayhem in which both airlines, local politicians and tens of thousands of travellers were caught off guard, the FAA wrote on X that the order had been lifted. “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal,” it said.
