Flight restrictions put in place and then lifted for El Paso, Texas, by the Federal Aviation Administration were taken as a preemptive measure by the agency amid a potential operation by military drones in the area, a source told ABC News. The FAA said in a statement that there is no threat to commercial aviation.All flights will resume as normal.Hours after issuing the flight restrictions, the FAA published an updated statement saying the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso had been lifted."Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace.
The Department of War took action to disable the drones," an administration official told ABC News."The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel."The earlier notice said no flights could operate beginning early Wednesday within a 10 nautical mile radius of El Paso Airport, including from the ground up to 17,999 feet.
The restrictions will remain in effect until Feb.21, the notice said.
This excludes the Mexican airspace.El Paso Airport authorities told ABC News in a statement, "The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM.The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST).
Airport staff has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance."In this file photo, a sign marks the Federal Aviation Administration's Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center, where air traffic controllers continue to work during the U.S.government shutdown, in Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S., Oct.
9, 2025.Brian Snyder/ReutersThe airport says airlines have been advised of the restrictions, and travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines on the latest flight information.Rep.Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, described the notice as "unpr...