A satellite image of El Paso International Airport, in El Paso, Texas, in this handout picture taken on February 6, 2026. US officials halted all flights to and from the airport on February 10 for "special security reasons," according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.
(El Paso, TX) – The FAA is changing course and has reopened the skies over El Paso, Texas. It’s still unclear, why in a rare and abrupt move, the Federal Aviation Administration closed the airspace in and around the city. The agency cited “special security reasons.” No other details were given. In addition, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said she got no advance notice about the closure, that was set to last ten days. Escobar said, there is “no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”
Originally, the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) extended into southern New Mexico. All flights were ordered to remain grounded near that airspace, including commercial, cargo, and general aviation. There were also no noted exceptions for medical evaluation or law enforcement flights.
So why was the airspace closed in the first place? We currently don’t have an answer. The airspace is classified as “national defense airspace,” which triggers strong enforcement language — violating aircraft may be intercepted, and pilots could be detained. Fines and loss of license could result. Most pointedly, the US government may use deadly force if an aircraft is determined to pose an imminent security threat.
The restriction took effect late on February 10 (around 11:30 p.m. MST) and was set to last until approximately 11:30 p.m. MST on February 20, 2026. It covered a roughly 10-nautical-mile radius around El Paso, from the surface up to about 18,000 feet — higher altitudes and areas crossing into Mexican airspace are excluded.
El Paso, the 23rd largest city in the US, clearly faced significant disruption with its airport shutdown. Flights were canceled and passengers left stranded. Local officials appear to have been largely caught off guard, as well. There is a military base near by — Fort Bliss.
Many news outlets described the move as “unprecedented” outside of extreme one-off events, such as 9-11 and its immediate aftermath. Given the FAA has not laid out specific details, there’s been open musings online: potential ties to border security, military operations (such as counter-drone activities against Mexican cartels), or other national defense concerns near the US-Mexico border.
