Airspace over El Paso, Texas has been closed for ten days due to what the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) describes as “special safety reasons”. Among the closures is El Paso International Airport, where all flights are grounded.
El Paso International Airport is closed for 10 days. (unsplash)The ban applies to all flights from El Paso, including commercial, cargo and general aviation.
The FAA’s decision also affects a large area of southern New Mexico west of Santa Teresa.
According to the FAA, the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect from February 10 at 11:30 pm (MST) until February 20 at 11:30 pm (MST).
In a statement to KFOX14, El Paso International Airport said, “The FAA, on short notice, has issued a temporary flight restriction to stop all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and will be effective February 11M0 through P1M0 01M0. 11:30 Airport staff reached out to the FAA at PM (MST) and in the meantime, commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are encouraged to contact their airlines for the latest information on the status of their flights.”
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What is national defense airspace?The FAA has designated the area as “national defense airspace,” a classification used in national security interests where flight operations may be limited, restricted, or prohibited to protect critical infrastructure, personnel, or U.S. territory.
According to an FAA notice cited by El Paso Matters, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) classifies the airspace defined in this notice as ‘NTL Defense Airspace.’ Pilots who do not comply with the following procedures may be stopped, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel.”
“The United States government may use deadly force against airborne ACFT, if it is determined that the ACFT poses an imminent security threat.”
