FAA lifts mysterious ‘special security’ airspace lockdown over El Paso

Just hours after the sweeping measure was announced, the FAA said the temporary closure had been lifted.

By World Israel News Staff

The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport on Wednesday morning, abruptly lifting a temporary flight restriction that had grounded all incoming and outgoing flights and classified the area as “NTL DEFENSE AIRSPACE.”

The restriction, originally set to run from February 10 through February 20, cited “temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons” in the official Notice to Air Missions.

It barred all aircraft operations within a 10-nautical-mile radius of El Paso, from the surface up to 17,999 feet above mean sea level, excluding Mexican airspace.

The notice warned that noncompliant aircraft could be intercepted and that pilots could face administrative or criminal penalties.

It also included language stating the U.S. government could use deadly force if an aircraft were deemed to pose an imminent security threat.

Just hours after the sweeping measure was announced, the FAA said in a social media post that the temporary closure had been lifted.

The agency stated there was no threat to commercial aviation and that normal flight operations would resume.

A source familiar with the matter had said earlier that a security-driven airspace shutdown over a major U.S. city for such a duration had not been seen since the days following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

No detailed explanation has been provided for either the initial imposition of the restriction or its rapid reversal, leaving unanswered questions about what prompted the brief but extraordinary security designation.