Airspace Over El Paso Reopened After Drone Incident

Thu Feb 12 2026 00:34:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following a brief closure due to a drone threat, airspace over El Paso, Texas, has been reopened, allowing flights to resume. Transportation officials confirm the situation is now safe for commercial travel.

The U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas, which was closed for 10 days due to a drone incursion, has now been reopened after the incident was declared no longer a threat. Officials say commercial travel in the area is now safe as authorities took action to address the drones. Local leaders expressed concerns over the abrupt nature of the shutdown and the lack of communication regarding the closure.

The US Department of Defense 'took action' to disable drones that it said were part of an incursion over El Paso, Texas, which sits on the border with Mexico, and has lifted its order to shut down the area's airspace for 10 days.

'The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday night suddenly ordered flights in and out of El Paso International Airport to be halted until February 20, causing shock and confusion among local residents and elected leaders.

The agency stated on Wednesday morning that restrictions had been lifted and flights could resume.

El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson confirmed that local authorities were not notified about the closure beforehand. He received texts and calls at midnight informing him of the airspace shutdown.

'Our community was scared,' Johnson said. 'You just cannot do that.'

Medical evacuation flights were also diverted due to the closure, affecting crucial transportation.

Long-term airspace closures are rare, with the FAA significantly reducing such occurrences since 2018. The restrictions included a 10-mile radius around El Paso, which encompassed parts of southern New Mexico.

Despite the unusual nature of the incident, experts suggest that drone activity related to cartel surveillance may have been the cause for the airspace restriction, as drones are regularly used for intelligence gathering by cartels in the area.