The shutdown was announced as a 10-day restriction but was lifted within hours.
EL PASO, TX — The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted all flights in and out of El Paso International Airport late Tuesday, citing special security reasons, disrupting commercial and cargo travel in a key border region before reopening the airspace Wednesday morning.
The abrupt stop set off a scramble for travelers, airlines and local officials who said they received little warning. The FAA’s order was unusual in its scope and in how few exceptions it allowed, even as federal officials declined at first to describe the specific risk. By midday Wednesday, federal leaders said the immediate concern had passed, but questions remained about what triggered the shutdown, who requested it and how similar disruptions might be avoided at one of the nation’s busiest border hubs.
The restriction surfaced publicly as passengers arrived at the airport to find departures halted and arrivals diverted. The FAA’s notice created what pilots call a temporary flight restriction, blocking aircraft operations in the El Paso area and effectively shutting down the airport. In statements shared through local officials and the airport, the restriction was described as security related and was initially set to run from 11:30 p.m. Mountain time Tuesday through 11:30 p.m. Mountain time on Feb. 20. Within hours, the FAA reversed course and said flights could resume.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the shutdown was tied to drones that crossed into U.S. airspace near the border, describing them as cartel drones in public comments. The Pentagon said it took action to disable drones and later determined there was no longer a threat to commercial travel. A person familiar with internal discussions said the FAA acted after defense officials could not initially guarantee that civilian aircraft would be safe while anti-drone measures were being used in the region. The FAA did not describe the specific threat in its first notices, and airport staff told the public they were seeking more guidance.
Local leaders said the lack of detail and short notice fueled anxiety across a community that depends on the airport for business travel, military movement and family trips. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, said she learned of the closure after it was put in place and pressed federal officials for answers. She said early information suggested there was no immediate threat to the broader community, but she criticized the decision to impose a sweeping restriction without advance notice to city officials or airport operations. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican who represents a neighboring district that includes parts of the region, also said he was in contact with federal authorities and that he had been told there was no ongoing security threat.
Airlines serving El Paso were forced to cancel or delay departures and reroute incoming flights to other airports in Texas and New Mexico. The disruption rippled through schedules because crews and aircraft positioned for El Paso could not complete planned legs. Travelers reported packed gate areas, changing departure boards and long waits for updates as carriers worked to rebook passengers. Airport officials urged people to check directly with their airlines, while the city fielded calls from residents trying to understand whether the shutdown signaled a wider emergency.
Federal officials later pointed to anti-drone activity as a central factor, spotlighting the growing challenge of unmanned aircraft near the southern border. In one account described by people briefed on the matter, Defense Department plans involved protective systems meant to counter drones, including laser-based equipment. The issue was not framed as a typical weather or staffing problem at the airport, but as an airspace safety concern tied to security operations. That made the FAA response look different from the ground stops travelers might see during storms, computer outages or heavy traffic, because it was tied to a national defense posture rather than airport capacity.
The airport sits near Fort Bliss, a major Army installation that trains and deploys forces and hosts large-scale exercises. The area is also close to the international border with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where airspace and law enforcement jurisdictions can become complicated during fast-moving incidents. Some reports described the restricted zone as extending roughly 10 miles around El Paso. Even for residents used to heightened security during major events, the idea of a blanket stop for all aircraft stood out. Aviation experts noted that temporary flight restrictions are common around sporting events and presidential travel, but far less common as a full shutdown of a commercial airport area for an extended period.
The speed of the reversal raised new questions. By Wednesday morning, the FAA said the airspace could reopen, and airport operations began restarting. Airlines began repositioning aircraft and crews, but cancellations and delays lingered for many travelers because schedules had already been broken. Some passengers were rerouted through other airports, while others faced overnight delays, missed connections and hotel costs. The airport warned that even with flights allowed again, it could take time for carriers to return to normal patterns.
Officials on both sides of the border addressed the episode publicly. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her morning news conference that her government had no information about drones being used on the border and that U.S. agencies could request cooperation if they had evidence. In El Paso, city officials held a news briefing to calm residents and explain what they knew, stressing that schools, hospitals and public services were operating normally. The mayor and council members also pressed for better communication from federal agencies, saying the community should not have to learn about major airspace restrictions through social media and passenger reports.
At the center of the dispute was a basic aviation safety question: whether counter-drone activity posed a risk to planes taking off and landing. Commercial aircraft operate in a tight corridor during climb and descent, often below 18,000 feet, and the area around an airport is where pilots have the least room to maneuver. If defense officials could not confirm that counter-drone systems would not interfere with aircraft, the FAA would face pressure to restrict flights until the situation was resolved. That appears to have driven the decision to impose an unusually broad restriction with few carve-outs, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Even so, lawmakers and local officials said they wanted a clearer explanation of the chain of events. They asked who requested the restriction, why it was initially described as a 10-day measure, and what changed within hours to allow flights again. They also questioned whether the region has enough tools and protocols to handle drone incursions without halting airport operations. The Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Pentagon and the FAA all have roles in border security and aviation safety, and any misalignment can produce confusion for the public and for the airlines that must follow FAA directives.
For travelers, the episode became a test of patience and trust. Some people arriving for early flights said they were handed short notices at ticket counters and told to call airline help lines. Others tracked delays on flight apps that showed aircraft circling or diverting before the restriction was lifted. A few military families at the terminal said their travel plans were upended with little clarity on whether the stoppage was tied to a local threat or a broader federal action. Airline staff, facing limited information, focused on rebooking and calming passengers, while airport workers managed crowding and shifting gate assignments as the airspace reopened.
The broader backdrop is that drones have become cheaper, easier to fly and harder to detect, raising new risks around airports, stadiums and critical infrastructure. Along the southern border, law enforcement agencies have warned for years that drones can be used for smuggling and surveillance. Officials have also said drones can interfere with aircraft, either through collisions or by forcing pilots to take evasive action. The El Paso shutdown showed how quickly a drone-related concern, real or suspected, can disrupt a major transportation node even when no attack on the airport itself is publicly confirmed.
By Wednesday afternoon, flights were operating again, but the fallout continued. Local members of Congress said they would seek briefings and review the decision-making that led to the restriction. Airport officials said they expected knock-on delays to continue as airlines reset schedules and reposition planes. Federal officials said the immediate threat to commercial aviation had passed, but they offered limited detail about what counter-drone steps were used, citing security concerns.
The next milestone is expected to be a fuller accounting from federal agencies to local leaders and lawmakers, including what triggered the order and why the initial timeline stretched to Feb. 20. For now, the FAA’s brief shutdown stands as a sharp reminder of how security operations near a busy airport can collide with routine travel, and how quickly a border-region incident can ripple across the national air network.
Author note: Last updated February 11, 2026.