FAA Rescinds El Paso Airspace Closure Amid Counter-Drone Dispute
FAA issued and rescinded a NOTAM grounding flights below 18,000 feet at El Paso after counter-drone activity; it was issued 11:30 p.m. Feb. 10, 2025 and rescinded before 7 a.m. Feb. 11, 2025.
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Overview
The Federal Aviation Administration rescinded a NOTAM that had grounded flights below 18,000 feet at El Paso International Airport after issuing it at 11:30 p.m. local time on Feb. 10, 2025 and rescinding it before 7 a.m. on Feb. 11, 2025, the FAA said.
Two U.S. government officials said the closure may have been tied to unapproved high-energy counter-drone laser testing at Fort Bliss, while an administration official told Semafor that the Pentagon disabled Mexican cartel drones, according to the officials and reports.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a Feb. 11, 2025 statement that "The FAA and DOD acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," and El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said medical evacuation flights were diverted to Las Cruces and called the communication failure "unacceptable."
FAA records show the initial NOTAM warned pilots not to fly below 18,000 feet and set restrictions through Feb. 20, 2025, and the temporary order led to the cancellation of seven arrivals and seven departures before it was lifted, the agency said.
Lawmakers including Rep. Veronica Escobar and Sen. Ted Cruz demanded explanations and signaled they will press for inquiries as FAA and Department of Defense officials met at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025 to review interagency coordination, according to sources.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around national-security uncertainty and institutional missteps, foregrounding official claims of 'breaches' and later reports of Pentagon-FAA coordination failures. Editorial choices emphasize conflict and threat—using loaded words like 'incursion' and 'confusion'—and prioritize federal officials and historical cartel context while giving limited ground-level or Mexican-government perspectives.
FAQ
The NOTAM was issued due to Mexican cartel drones breaching U.S. airspace, prompting the Department of Defense to disable them, with possible involvement of unapproved high-energy counter-drone laser testing at Fort Bliss.
The NOTAM was issued at 11:30 p.m. on February 10, 2025, initially set through February 20, but rescinded before 7 a.m. on February 11, 2025, lasting less than 8 hours.
It led to the cancellation of seven arrivals and seven departures at El Paso International Airport, with medical evacuation flights diverted to Las Cruces.[1]
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated the FAA and DOD acted swiftly against a cartel drone incursion; the Pentagon confirmed disabling the drones with no ongoing threat to commercial travel.
Lawmakers like Rep. Veronica Escobar and Sen. Ted Cruz demanded explanations and plan inquiries; FAA and DOD officials met at the White House on February 11, 2025, to review coordination.[1]
