FAA Reopens El Paso Airspace After Brief Closure Tied to Cartel Drone Activity

The Federal Aviation Administration has reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas after a brief closure that had threatened to ground all flights to and from the airport for 10 days. The sudden shutdown, announced Tuesday evening and lifted Wednesday morning, was tied to reports of drone activity linked to Mexican drug cartels operating near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that the FAA and the Defense Department "acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region." Normal flights resumed Wednesday morning, though Duffy did not specify how many drones were involved or what measures were taken to disable them.

The closure had been expected to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 people and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The brief closure does not include Mexican airspace.

El Paso International Airport, which describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico, had announced that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded from late Tuesday through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. Major carriers including Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there.

Southwest Airlines said it had paused all operations to and from El Paso at the direction of the FAA. "We have notified affected customers and will share additional information as it becomes available," the airline said in a statement. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees."

The sudden nature of the closure drew criticism from local officials. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. She noted there was no advance notice given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations.

"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. "From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas."

A similar temporary flight restriction for special security reasons over the same time period was imposed around Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of the El Paso airport.

The incident highlights the growing concern over drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border, where cartels have increasingly used unmanned aircraft for surveillance, drug smuggling, and other illicit activities. While the FAA has not provided detailed information about the specific threat that prompted the closure, the rapid response and subsequent reopening suggests authorities were able to quickly assess and neutralize the situation.

For travelers and the local community, the brief closure served as a reminder of the complex security challenges facing border regions and the potential for sudden disruptions to air travel. The FAA's decision to reopen the airspace after only hours, rather than the full 10 days initially announced, suggests that the threat assessment may have changed or that initial intelligence was incomplete.

The incident also raises questions about communication protocols between federal agencies and local stakeholders during security operations. The lack of advance notice to elected officials and airport authorities created confusion and concern among community leaders and travelers alike.

As border security remains a contentious political issue, incidents like this one are likely to fuel ongoing debates about the appropriate balance between security measures and the free flow of commerce and travel in border regions. The use of drones by criminal organizations presents a new frontier in border security challenges, requiring law enforcement and aviation authorities to adapt their strategies and technologies to address this evolving threat.

The FAA has not indicated whether similar closures might be implemented in other border regions if comparable threats are detected, leaving travelers and airport operators in other areas to wonder about their vulnerability to sudden airspace restrictions tied to cartel activity.

For now, flights at El Paso International Airport have returned to normal operations, but the brief closure serves as a stark reminder of the security challenges facing border communities and the potential for rapid changes in air travel conditions based on evolving security assessments.