Quick Read
- All flights to and from El Paso International Airport were halted for 10 days, starting February 10, 2026.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited “special security reasons” for the temporary flight restriction.
- The affected airspace, including neighboring Santa Teresa, New Mexico, was designated “national defense airspace.”
- Local officials, including Rep. Veronica Escobar, reported no advance notice and expressed significant concern.
- The 10-day closure is projected to cause an economic hit of $40-50 million or more to El Paso.
EL PASO (Azat TV) – All flights to and from El Paso International Airport (ELP) in Texas, along with airspace over the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, were abruptly halted for a 10-day period, effective from late Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited “special security reasons” for the unprecedented restriction, which has grounded all commercial, cargo, and general aviation, causing significant disruption for travelers and sparking widespread concern among local officials who reported receiving no advance notice.
The FAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) at 6:30 a.m. UTC on Wednesday, February 11 (11:30 p.m. ET on February 10), declaring temporary flight restrictions for the specified airspace. The restriction is set to remain in effect until the same time on February 21, 2026. The NOTAM explicitly stated that no pilots may operate an aircraft in the covered areas and classified the airspace as “national defense airspace.” It further warned that deadly force could be used on an aircraft if it is determined to pose an “imminent security threat,” and pilots “may be intercepted, detained and interviewed” by law enforcement.
Unprecedented Flight Halt at El Paso International
The blanket ban came into effect with little to no warning for those on the ground. According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, an American Airlines flight from Chicago was the last to land at El Paso International at 10:57 p.m. local time on Tuesday. A private plane from Everett, Washington, scheduled to land shortly after, was diverted to an airport in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the nearest U.S. city. The airspace restriction does not extend to Juárez and Mexican airspace, allowing flights in and out of Mexico to continue unaffected.
El Paso International Airport, which handled 3.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025, confirmed the development in a social media advisory, urging travelers to contact their airlines for updated flight status information. Major U.S. carriers, including Southwest, Delta, United, and American, operate from the airport, all of whom are now grappling with the sudden cancellations and diversions.
Security Concerns and Lack of Official Detail
The FAA has not provided any further details beyond the brief statement in its NOTAM, leaving a vacuum of information that has fueled speculation. An FAA spokesperson told NBC News they could not comment beyond what was already stated in the Notice to Airmen. The lack of transparency has been a major point of contention for local authorities and the community.
Evidence of the suddenness of the decision emerged from an air traffic control conversation captured by LiveATC.net, a website that monitors such communications. Shortly before the restriction took effect, an air traffic controller at El Paso International informed a Southwest Airlines flight that they had only been notified of the 10-day ground stop about “30 minutes to an hour ago,” expressing apparent surprise at the news.
Community Impact and Economic Fallout
The abrupt closure has drawn sharp criticism from local elected officials. U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, issued a statement calling the decision “highly consequential” and “unprecedented,” noting that it had “resulted in significant concern within the community.” She added that “there was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations.”
City Councilmember Chris Canales echoed these concerns in a Facebook post, stating that the “lack of explanation is obviously fueling fear and speculation in our community.” Canales highlighted the potential economic ramifications of a 10-day airport closure, estimating a hit of “$40-50 million or more” to the city’s economy. He also expressed alarm that there appeared to be no advance notice given to local government, airport leadership, or even local Air Traffic Control or military leadership.
Local Officials Demand Answers
Both Representative Escobar and Councilmember Canales have publicly urged the FAA to provide immediate clarity and consider lifting the temporary flight restrictions. The unexpected nature of the security measure, coupled with the complete absence of explanation, has put local authorities in a difficult position, unable to reassure their constituents or plan for the economic fallout. The situation remains fluid as airport staff and local government await further guidance from federal authorities.
The blanket, unannounced nature of the flight restrictions at a major civilian airport, coupled with the FAA’s silence on specific security threats, represents a highly unusual measure that raises significant questions about the underlying intelligence and the protocol for communicating such critical decisions to local stakeholders.