FAA’s Shocking Reversal: El Paso Flights Resume as Trump Official Declares War on Mexican Cartel Drones!
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily grounded all flights in and out of El Paso International Airport starting Wednesday morning, citing “special security” instructions, only to lift the grounding hours later. This 10-day flight ban was primarily linked to the Department of Defense disabling Mexican cartel drones that had entered U.S. airspace, with officials reassuring the public that there was no danger to commercial air travel.
In a statement on social media platform X, the FAA confirmed, “The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.” The airport, located about 12 miles from Juarez, Mexico, is in close proximity to Biggs Army Airfield and the Mexican border. Initially, flights were set to be grounded until late February 20, encompassing a 10-nautical-mile radius around the airport.
While the FAA often halts flights for reasons like weather and traffic congestion, security-related flight suspensions of this magnitude are rare. Local officials expressed significant concern regarding the abrupt nature of the closure. El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson described the grounding as a “major and unnecessary disruption,” urging for enhanced communication from federal authorities. Criticism also came from lawmakers, including Rep. Rick Larsen and Rep. André Carson, who labeled the FAA’s swift action as “unacceptable,” despite acknowledging the need for safety. Their statement emphasized the importance of improving interagency coordination to prevent such disruptions in the future.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, representing a significant portion of El Paso, called the sudden closure “unprecedented,” highlighting a lack of advance notice to key stakeholders, including her office and the city. Statistics show that nearly 3.5 million passengers traveled through El Paso International Airport in the first 11 months of 2025. The airport is serviced by major airlines, including Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Frontier Airlines, which faced impact from the sudden order.
Aviation data firm Cirium noted there were 1,314 departures scheduled for El Paso in February, with approximately 40 scheduled for Wednesday. Southwest Airlines confirmed it had 23 flights planned for the day and announced the resumption of operations to and from El Paso, advising travelers to check its website for the latest updates. The airline reassured its commitment to customer safety, stating, “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees.” United Airlines mentioned it did not cancel any flights and had also canceled an earlier travel waiver.
This unusual sequence of events raises significant questions about communication protocols and response strategies between federal agencies, emphasizing the need for clearer coordination in managing air space safety while minimizing disruption to commercial aviation.
As the situation develops, both travelers and the aviation industry will be closely monitoring future protocols to ensure a balance between national security and the freedom to travel.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/11/faa-el-paso-airport.html
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Publish Date: 2026-02-11 22:59:00
