F.A.A. Halts All Flights at El Paso Airport for 10 Days citing "special security reasons." surprising state officials [View all]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/us/faa-el-paso-flight-restrictions.html

F.A.A. Halts All Flights at El Paso Airport for 10 Days
No flights would be allowed to or from the airport for 10 days under a flight restriction order that cited unspecified “special security reasons.”

The Federal Aviation Administration late Tuesday halted all flights to and from El Paso International Airport for 10 days for “special security reasons,” isolating a major American metropolitan area from air travel.

In a move that appeared to surprise state and local officials, the restriction went into effect at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday and will remain until 11:30 p.m. local time on Feb. 20.

The restriction encompasses a 10-mile area around El Paso, and includes the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, N.M., but does not apply to aircraft flying above 18,000 feet, the F.A.A. notices said. They did not detail the security reasons that prompted the restriction.

The airport issued a travel advisory on social media saying that all flights to and from the airport had been grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. It told travelers to contact their airlines for the latest flight information .