Why Did the FAA Suddenly Close El Paso’s Airspace? |
The Federal Aviation Administration suddenly announced late last night that it was shutting down the airspace surrounding El Paso, Texas, barring flights in and out of the region over the next ten days in an unprecedented and unexpected action. But just hours later, the agency reversed the restrictions as the Trump administration blamed the sudden closure on Mexican cartel drones entering U.S. airspace. A wide-scale closure of a city’s airspace is a rarity with few comparisons in the modern era. Air travel was grounded for days throughout the United States following the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Here’s what we know so far.
In its initial notice, the FAA had advised pilots that it was placing temporary flight restrictions over El Paso and neighboring Santa Teresa, New Mexico, for “special security reasons.”
“The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST),” the City of El Paso said in a news release, per El Paso Matters. CNN reported that the FAA’s notice included warnings for potential violations of the restriction, advising that pilots could be subject to detainment and questioning by law enforcement or criminal charges, and that the government could utilize deadly force if an aircraft poses an........