Is El Paso Airport Closed? What Travelers Need to Know

On Wednesday, February 11, the FAA announced the "immediate closure" of El Paso Airport in Texas for ten days. Just hours later, the entire situation was called off and flights were back in the air. (via Independent)

The FAA also issued a Notice to Air Missions, stating that every flight within 10 nautical miles of the airport would be grounded "for special security reasons."

What Happened At El Paso Airport?

On Wednesday, the FAA gave a specific time frame for the closure: "...halting all flights to and from El Paso effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information.”

The FAA later revealed on a social media post that "there is no threat to commercial aviation," and the flight ban had been lifted. The decision came after Rep. Veronica Escobar took to social media to urge the FAA to lift the restrictions, claiming: "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."

While there has been no official reason given for the temporary closure, CNN reports that the situation is "linked to military activity at nearby Fort Bliss [...] it seems that the defence department was carrying out some sort of operation there."

Though El Paso Airport has now returned to normal operation, travelers are encouraged to contact their airlines for the most current flight information.