The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States took an unconventional measure on Wednesday, February 11th, citing “special security reasons”, to suspend all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas for a period of 10 days.
The FAA warned that if any aircraft is deemed to pose an “imminent security threat”, the United States could use “lethal force” against the violating aircraft.
Located near the U.S.-Mexico border, the airport in El Paso has grounded all flights, including commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights. The ban went into effect at 11:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) on February 10th and will last until 11:30 p.m. on February 20th.
According to Reuters, airline industry sources revealed that the flight suspension could be related to the Pentagon’s use of anti-drone technology in response to Mexican drug cartels using drones along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The FAA stated that the flight suspension is due to “special security reasons,” but did not provide further details.
The no-fly restriction applies to the airspace over El Paso and the nearby area of Santa Teresa in New Mexico.
El Paso airport issued a statement on Wednesday confirming the closure. The statement advised passengers to contact the airlines for the latest flight status information.
Former FAA security team member Kyle Bailey told Fox News on Wednesday that a 10-day flight ban like this is “unprecedented.” He also mentioned that the airport is adjacent to the Fort Bliss Army post.
Bailey speculated that “this is definitely related to events involving national security or high-level dignitaries, but it’s interesting that there are no flight restrictions on the Mexican side of the border.”
In mid-January, the FAA warned airlines to exercise caution when flying over certain regions of Mexico, Central America, and South America due to potential military activity risks.