16 votes

US Federal Aviation Administration reopens El Paso airport hours after saying it was grounding flights for ten days

Posted by scojjac
Tags: usa.tx.el paso, aviation, airports, el paso international airport, federal aviation administration, routes.air, security, politics.usa, republican party, donald trump, technology, drones, crime.organized, cartels, trafficking.drug, borders, mexico, author.henry austin, source.nbc news
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flights-el-paso-airport-texas-halted-10-days-security-reasons-faa-rcna258497

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Title
All flights to and from El Paso airport in Texas halted for 10 days for 'security reasons'
Published
Feb 11 2026
Word count
179 words

6 comments

  1. scojjac
    Link
    Interesting new information from Texas Tribune. An industry source says the FAA did this because the DoD would not stop using unauthorized flight paths for their own drones.

    Interesting new information from Texas Tribune. An industry source says the FAA did this because the DoD would not stop using unauthorized flight paths for their own drones.

    15 votes
  2. scojjac
    (edited )
    Link
    FAA issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) completely restricting airspace (10nm up to 18000 feet) around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days. It was issued with only three hours'...

    FAA issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) completely restricting airspace (10nm up to 18000 feet) around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days. It was issued with only three hours' notice, city councilmember Chris Canales posted information on Reddit. Neither civilian nor military leadership got advance notice, nor Albuquerque Center regional ATC. Canales says "military does not have carte blance exemption".

    It seems that this was ordered unilaterally at the highest level of federal government without cooperation with state and local partners, nor with the Mexican government (Ciudad Juárez airspace, directly across the border, is unrestricted). El Paso is a major freight hub and a secondary hub for some carriers, including American Airlines.

    The notice cites "national defense" as the reason for the restriction. Nothing like this has happened since September 11, 2001. There's also a more limited drone restriction in New Orleans.

    10 votes
  3. [3]
    PelagiusSeptim
    Link
    Looks like it has now been lifted, the administration claims that it was related to cartel drones.

    Looks like it has now been lifted, the administration claims that it was related to cartel drones.

    10 votes
    1. [2]
      scojjac
      Link Parent
      Thank you for that update. That seems like a very neat and tidy answer. Stating that you intend to restrict ~350 square miles of airspace for 10 days, and then lifting it within a day? If they...

      Thank you for that update. That seems like a very neat and tidy answer. Stating that you intend to restrict ~350 square miles of airspace for 10 days, and then lifting it within a day?

      If they used high-powered microwave to neutralize drones, I suppose that would be a reason for a larger area to be restricted. Or maybe it's just incompetence and miscommunication between agencies.

      4 votes
      1. Tlon_Uqbar
        Link Parent
        With this administration, it was 100% incompetence. I would not be surprised if "Mexican cartel drone" is just a convenient excuse to pin it on.

        With this administration, it was 100% incompetence. I would not be surprised if "Mexican cartel drone" is just a convenient excuse to pin it on.

        14 votes
  4. Cock
    Link
    The government is ran by corrupt, incompetent, and inexperienced political operatives. We will continue to see trivial mistakes impacting our daily lives.

    The government is ran by corrupt, incompetent, and inexperienced political operatives. We will continue to see trivial mistakes impacting our daily lives.

    5 votes