Airspace over El Paso and parts of southern New Mexico reopened early Wednesday morning after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly imposed a temporary flight restriction that had initially been slated to last 10 days.
The FAA issued the restriction at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday for “special security reasons.” The closure grounded all flights at El Paso International Airport, including commercial, cargo and general aviation traffic. The airport posted a travel advisory on social media stating, “All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation.”
The restriction was originally set to remain in effect until Feb. 21. However, the FAA lifted the temporary airspace closure at 5:54 a.m. Wednesday.
“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 FAA shared on X.
Federal officials have offered differing accounts of what prompted the sudden shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on social media that the action was taken in response to drone activity. “The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” Duffy posted, referring to the Department of War. “The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.”
A Trump administration official also said the closure followed Mexican cartel drones breaching U.S. airspace and that the Department of War acted to disable them before determining there was no ongoing threat.
However, an industry official briefed by the FAA told The Texas Tribune that the situation involved a dispute between the FAA and the Department of Defense over the operation of unmanned aircraft near El Paso’s airport. According to the Tribune, the official said the Defense Department had been operating drones from a nearby base without sharing information with the FAA.
“It has to do with the FAA’s inability to predict where [unmanned aircraft systems] might be flying,” the official told the Tribune. “They have been operating outside the normal flight paths.”
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, questioned the administration’s explanation during a Wednesday morning press conference.
“The statement by the administration that this shutdown was linked to a Mexican cartel drone that came into US airspace — that is not my understanding,” Escobar said.
Escobar said neither she nor local officials were notified in advance of the closure and that she learned about it late Tuesday from a federal workforce member. While declining to confirm whether drone activity played a role, she noted that drone incursions in the region are not uncommon and called for additional clarification from federal agencies.
“The information coming from the administration does not add up, and it's not the information that I was able to gather overnight and this morning,” she said.
Other Texas lawmakers also responded to the incident.
Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23) noted on social media that a similar airspace restriction occurred in neighboring Hudspeth County in November 2025. “In November of 2025, a similar airspace closure occurred in the neighboring Hudspeth county, also in my district. After collaboration with federal partners, this temporary flight restriction was lifted expeditiously,” Gonzales wrote.
Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) criticized the decision, saying President Donald Trump should “immediately give Congress and the American people a rational explanation for such an extreme and unprecedented move.”
“The FAA has abruptly lifted its unprecedented ten day closure of El Paso airspace,” Castro said. “Previously, no advanced notice was given and no justifiable explanation had been provided. This rash decision will erode trust in public safety.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said his office is seeking additional information. His team “has been working with the FAA, DOW, and others to gather more information about this morning's temporary airspace closure in El Paso,” Cruz posted on social media. “I’m hopeful more details can be publicly shared in the coming days on interagency coordination.”
Southwest Airlines said it resumed operations after the FAA lifted the restriction and advised customers to check their flight status before traveling.
