Airspace over El Paso International Airport reopened Wednesday morning, just hours after federal authorities startled travelers and businesses by announcing a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights at the West Texas hub. The sudden reversal left the community and airlines scrambling to adjust to rapidly changing directives.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on social media that the temporary restriction had been lifted, emphasizing that commercial aviation faced no ongoing danger and normal operations would resume without interruption.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy weighed in on X, explaining the situation with striking clarity: “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.” While Duffy confirmed flights were resuming, officials have not disclosed how many drones were involved or exactly how the threat was neutralized.
The dramatic back-and-forth came after the FAA had announced late Tuesday that it would close El Paso airspace “for special security reasons” through February 20. Had the shutdown proceeded, it would have halted commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights, disrupting a metropolitan area of nearly 700,000 residents and threatening a vital corridor for cross-border trade.
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