FAA Reopens El Paso Airport Hours After Grounding Flights Over ‘Special Security Reasons’

February 12, 2026

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reopened airspace around El Paso International Airport. This decision came just hours after grounding all flights due to "special security reasons."

Late on 10 February, the FAA issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) that would have stopped all flights, commercial, cargo, and general aviation, into and out of El Paso for ten days. The restriction covered airspace up to 18,000 feet within about 10 nautical miles of the airport and was set to last until 20 February, based on the initial notice.

Airport officials confirmed the grounding through social media, urging travellers to reach out to their airlines for the latest flight updates.

However, on the morning of 11 February, the FAA announced that the restriction had been lifted, and normal flight operations were back in place. “There is no threat to commercial aviation,” the agency stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Officials explained that the closure was put in place due to a security concern linked to Mexican cartel drones entering U.S. airspace. Military forces had disabled some of these drones. The FAA did not share detailed evidence of the threat but stressed that there is no ongoing danger to civilian flights.

This unexpected turn, where authorities announced a long shutdown and then reversed the decision within hours, caused confusion and criticism. Local leaders, like U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar, reported that federal officials did not give advance notice before implementing the restriction, leaving airport operators and community leaders searching for answers.

El Paso International Airport serves millions of passengers each year and is an important regional hub near the U.S.–Mexico border. Major airlines such as American Airlines, Southwest, United, and Delta operate there, and the sudden closure would have led to substantial disruption if it had continued.

The FAA did not clarify why the threat was initially deemed serious enough to impose such extensive flight restrictions, nor did it explain why the decision was reversed. Transportation and security officials stated they will keep monitoring the situation.