US officials say an incursion of drones operated by Mexican drug cartels is to blame for the sudden closure of airspace over an international airport in the southern United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a sudden 10-day closure of airspace over the US city of El Paso on Wednesday morning, local time, just hours after the ban on all aircraft was announced.
The move caught the airport, airlines and travellers off-guard, with the agency initially giving no explanation for the closure other than for “special security reasons”.
US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy later posted on X that the FAA and Defense Department “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion” in the area.
“The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.”
Airspace 16 kilometres around El Paso International Airport was closed for several hours until the FAA rescinded its notice. (Reuters/Planet Labs PBC)
The FAA’s initial notice said the ban would run until February 20, prompting airlines and the airport to cancel flights.
El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighbouring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.
El Paso Airport handles four million passengers each year.
International airport forced to close
Airline sources earlier told Reuters the grounding of flights was believed to be tied to the Pentagon’s use of counter-drone technology to address Mexican drug cartels’ use of drones on the US-Mexico border. The flight prohibition also covered some rural air space in neighbouring New Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters on Wednesday that she had no knowledge of drones being used on the border with United States.
The ban had applied for all flights between 0 and 17,999 feet for a 16-kilometre radius around the airport, effectively forcing its closure.
In a statement on social media before the closure was lifted, El Paso International Airport said the restriction came into effect Tuesday night, local time, and was slated to be in effect would run until February 20.
“All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation,” the airport’s travel advisory said, adding that travellers affected should contact their airlines.
Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, had earlier urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement.
There was no advance notice given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations, she said.
“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,” Ms 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.”
Budget carrier Southwest Airlines said in a statement that it has 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,” Southwest Airlines said.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”
ABC/wires
date:2026-02-11 16:16:00