The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted a previously announced 10-day flight ban for El Paso International Airport, just hours after confirming the restriction.
The travel disruption was initially expected to affect flights in and out of the Texas airport until February 20. The FAA cited ‘special security reasons’ for this measure.
The airport had communicated the flight restrictions on Instagram on February 10, urging affected passengers to reach out to their airlines for further guidance.
However, on February 11, the FAA updated via X, formerly known as Twitter, that all flights would resume as normal.
“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted,” stated the FAA in their announcement.
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 ✈️ (@FAANews) February 11, 2026
“There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”
This unexpected change of course leaves several questions, including the specific reason for the ban and why it was lifted so quickly.
The FAA has not released further information on the situation.
According to the New York Times, the brief closure was reportedly connected to ‘a test of new counter-drone technology by the military at Fort Bliss, a nearby Army base, according to a source familiar with the situation.’
The no-fly zone extended over a 10-mile radius, covering the Biggs Army Airfield, and affected flights up to an altitude of 18,000 feet.
CNN journalist Jennifer Jacobs mentioned that the closure was said to be in response to Mexican cartel drones entering US airspace, as per officials.
BREAKING: The decision to close El Paso International Airport to all flights for 10 days was triggered by Mexican cartel drones breaching US airspace, officials told @CBSNews. War Dept took action to disable the drones.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 11, 2026
“War Dept took action to disable the drones,” she stated.
Frequent travelers are likely to be concerned about the potential for future airport closures due to military drone testing and how it might affect them.
Located five miles from the Mexican border, El Paso International Airport provides flights to several central US cities, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, and San Diego.
The airport is serviced by airlines such as Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, and United Airlines.
Southwest Airlines has confirmed that operations to and from El Paso will resume and that it will uphold its policy for customers affected by the situation.
El Paso International is recognized as the ‘busiest commercial airport serving West Texas, Southern New Mexico, and North Central Mexico,’ having managed over 4,000,000 passengers in 2024.
The FAA, part of the US Department of Transportation, is tasked with regulating and overseeing ‘all aspects of civil aviation’ in the nation. According to its website, the FAA manages an average of 44,360 flights each day.