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Flight restrictions enactment successful place and past lifted for El Paso, Texas, by the Federal Aviation Administration were taken arsenic a preemptive measurement by the bureau amid a imaginable cognition by subject drones successful the area, a root told ABC News.
The FAA said successful a connection that determination is nary menace to commercialized aviation. All flights volition resume arsenic normal.
Hours aft issuing the formation restrictions, the FAA published an updated connection saying the impermanent closure of airspace implicit El Paso had been lifted.
"Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took enactment to disable the drones," an medication authoritative told ABC News. "The FAA and DOW person determined determination is nary menace to commercialized travel."
In this record photo, a motion marks the Federal Aviation Administration's Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center, wherever aerial postulation controllers proceed to enactment during the U.S. authorities shutdown, successful Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S., Oct. 9, 2025.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
The earlier announcement said nary flights could run opening aboriginal Wednesday wrong a 10 nautical mile radius of El Paso Airport, including from the crushed up to 17,999 feet. The restrictions volition stay successful effect until Feb. 21, the announcement said. This excludes the Mexican airspace.
El Paso Airport authorities told ABC News successful a statement, "The FAA, connected abbreviated notice, issued a impermanent formation regularisation halting each flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The regularisation prohibits each craft operations (including commercial, cargo and wide aviation) and is effectual from February 10 astatine 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 astatine 11:30PM (MST). Airport unit has reached retired to the FAA, and we are pending further guidance."
The airdrome says airlines person been advised of the restrictions, and travelers are encouraged to cheque with their airlines connected the latest formation information.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she has nary accusation astir wherefore the airspace implicit El Paso was closed, but that Mexico volition investigate.
“Mexican airspace was not closed. Texas airspace was closed. A abbreviated portion ago, they issued a connection from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, saying that operations person present resumed arsenic normal. And well, we’re going to look into precisely what the reasons were for wherefore it was closed," Sheinbaum said during a property briefing Wednesday.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose territory includes El Paso, described the announcement arsenic "unprecedented," saying it "has resulted successful important interest wrong the community."
"From what my bureau and I person been capable to stitchery overnight and aboriginal this morning, determination is nary contiguous menace to the assemblage oregon surrounding areas," Escobar said successful a statement. "There was nary beforehand announcement provided to my office, the City of El Paso, oregon anyone progressive successful airdrome operations.
The airspace has been defined arsenic "national defence airspace," according to the FAA. Pilots who interruption these restrictions could beryllium intercepted oregon detained for questioning by instrumentality enforcement.
Failure to comply with these restrictions could effect successful the FAA imposing a civilian punishment oregon revoking the pilot’s license. The national authorities tin besides prosecute transgression charges oregon adjacent usage "deadly force" against an craft if it poses an imminent information threat, according to the notice.
ABC News has reached retired to the FAA for further accusation down these restrictions arsenic good arsenic to airlines astir disruptions to their operations.
El Paso is location to 1 of the largest cargo facilities adjacent the border, truthful these restrictions could person a important interaction connected shipments arsenic well. ABC News has besides contacted aerial cargo carriers for immoderate information.
Escobar said her bureau has "urged the FAA to instantly assistance the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed connected the El Paso area."
"I volition proceed to marque accusation nationalist arsenic I larn it," she said.
