Late Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stunned travelers and officials alike by issuing a sweeping order: all flights to and from El Paso International Airport, and a significant stretch of southern New Mexico west of Santa Teresa, were grounded, effective immediately. The abrupt closure, which began at 11:30 p.m. Mountain Time on February 10, 2026, is set to last for ten days—until 11:30 p.m. on February 20—disrupting the lives of thousands and raising more questions than answers about the security situation on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The FAA’s official notices, known as Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), classified the affected airspace as "National Defense Airspace." The language was anything but subtle. "Pilots who do not adhere to the following procedure may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel," the NOTAM warned. Perhaps most chillingly, it added, "The United States government may use deadly force against the airborne aircraft, if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat." According to El Paso Matters, this kind of stern directive has not been seen since the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
The scope of the restriction is vast. All air traffic—commercial, cargo, and general aviation—has been halted within a 10-nautical-mile radius around El Paso and Fort Bliss, encompassing airspace from the ground up to 17,000 feet. The closure also covers a large swath of southern New Mexico west of Santa Teresa, though it notably excludes Mexican airspace and the Santa Teresa airport itself, as confirmed by FAA documentation.
For El Paso, the 23rd largest city in the United States, the impact is immediate and severe. The city’s international airport serves not only El Pasoans, but also travelers from across West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. The nearest sizable U.S. city, Las Cruces, New Mexico, is about 35 miles away and offers only limited air service. Alternatives are hours away by car—a fact not lost on stranded travelers scrambling to rebook or reroute their journeys.
Airport officials, just as much in the dark as the public, scrambled to respond. In a statement released early Wednesday, El Paso International Airport said, "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 the meanwhile, commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction, which appears to be security related. Travelers are encouraged to contact their airlines to get the latest information on their flight status."
The FAA itself has offered little in the way of explanation. When contacted by El Paso Matters, an individual at the FAA’s Special Operations Support Center, identifying himself only as Eric, said, “Not really, not because I won’t, it’s because I don’t know. I mean, this is just the office that publishes. So we’re handed the sheets and they say go with it.” The agency’s public communications have cited only "special security reasons" for the sweeping action, declining to elaborate further despite repeated inquiries from local and national media outlets, including ABC-7 and CNN.
The silence from federal authorities has left local officials and lawmakers in a state of confusion. Representative Joaquin Castro of San Antonio admitted, “Sorry, I don’t have some clear answer.” Texas State Representative Vincent Perez, who represents El Paso, echoed the bewilderment: “I don’t have any information on that. I have never heard of an American airspace being shutdown for 10 days, absent a major emergency.” Their surprise is understandable; such a prolonged and total closure of airspace over a major U.S. city is essentially unprecedented outside of wartime or the immediate response to 9/11.
The restriction’s language leaves little doubt as to the seriousness of the situation. As reported by El Paso Times, the NOTAM states that pilots who do not comply may be subject to interception, detention, and even administrative actions. The federal government retains the authority to use "deadly force against the airborne aircraft, if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat." For a city accustomed to being a busy crossroads—of people, commerce, and cultures—this is a jarring halt to normalcy.
Travelers are bearing the brunt of the disruption. Nearly 70 departing flights from El Paso International Airport were immediately canceled, and the city urged passengers to contact airlines for the latest updates and rebooking options. The closure has sent shockwaves through the national aviation network, given El Paso’s role as a regional hub. As NBC News noted, the airport’s advisory on social media confirmed that “all flights, including commercial, cargo and general aviation, were grounded.”
The restriction’s reach extends beyond just the airport. Airspace from the ground up to nearly 18,000 feet is off-limits to any aircraft, unless specifically authorized by federal officials. Medevac helicopters, law enforcement flights, and even military craft are subject to the same blanket ban, as outlined by sources speaking to El Paso Matters. The only exceptions are for aircraft that receive explicit clearance—a rare circumstance under such a broad security order.
For residents and officials, the lack of information is as concerning as the closure itself. The FAA’s refusal to specify the nature of the "special security reasons" has fueled speculation but provided no answers. The fact that the order does not affect neighboring Juárez or Mexican airspace has only deepened the mystery. Some observers have drawn comparisons to the post-9/11 airspace lockdown, when all outgoing flights in the United States were banned and every plane in the air was ordered to land at the nearest airport.
While the FAA has listed its Special Operations Support Center as a contact for more information, calls have yielded little clarity. The city of El Paso remains in contact with the agency, awaiting further guidance. Meanwhile, the closure’s ripple effects are being felt not only locally, but across the nation’s interconnected air travel system.
As the days tick by toward the scheduled end of the restriction on February 20, travelers, officials, and the public are left with few answers and a growing sense of unease. The rare shutdown of El Paso’s skies is a stark reminder of the complexities and uncertainties that can arise at the intersection of national security and daily life.