Is El Paso airport closed for 10 days? Why FAA lifts airspace shutdown after flights grounded over Mexican cartel drone threat

El Paso airport update: Travelers in El Paso woke up Wednesday morning to confusion that quickly turned into relief after federal officials reversed a sudden decision to close the airspace around El Paso International Airport.

El Paso Airport Update: Is El Paso Airport Closed, Why Are Flights Grounded in El Paso

Just hours earlier, the Federal Aviation Administration had announced a 10-day shutdown of the airspace for what it described as “special security reasons,” grounding all flights and urging passengers to check with their airlines for updates. The notice, posted late Tuesday on the FAA’s website, did not include further details.

FAA Lifts El Paso Air Space Shut Down

By Wednesday morning, however, the situation had changed. The FAA said in a statement posted on social media platform X, "The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal."


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El Paso Flights Grounded After Cartel Drone Incursion

A Trump administration official told the Associated Press that the brief closure was “tied to Mexican cartel drones” and said the “U.S. military disabled them.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed that explanation in a post on X, saying that, "The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion."

Duffy added, "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming."

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El Paso Airport Shutdown Surprises Local Leaders

The abrupt announcement and equally swift reversal caught state and local leaders off guard. US Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, said her office, the city and “anyone involved in airport operations” received no advance notice of the decision, as per a Yahoo News report.

Escobar said, “The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community,” adding, “From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas," as quoted by Yahoo News.

ELP Airport Disruptions: How Many Flights Were Affected

Despite the dramatic initial announcement, the immediate impact on travelers appeared limited. According to FlightAware, 14 flights, about 10% of arrivals and departures at El Paso International Airport, had been canceled as of Wednesday morning.

El Paso Airspace Reopened: Flights Resume at El Paso International Airport

By midday, federal officials emphasized that commercial travel in the region was no longer at risk and that normal flight operations were back on track, bringing a sudden and uncertain episode to a quick close.

FAQs

Why was El Paso airport closed?
The FAA cited special security reasons and later confirmed the issue was linked to cartel drones.

Is El Paso airport open now?
Yes, the FAA confirmed flights resumed and there is no threat to commercial aviation.