Drones from ‘Mexican cartel’ forced El Paso airport shutdown, says Trump administration
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA, in coordination with the Pentagon, temporarily shut down the airspace to address a potential security threat posed by a cartel-operated drone.
The US has halted all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas near the border with Mexico on Wednesday. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday reopened airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas after a sudden suspension of flights, which it blamed on a drone incursion by a “Mexican cartel”.
Flights to and from the airport which lies close to the US-Mexico border had been abruptly halted earlier in the day surprising airlines and passengers alike, Reuters reported. Officials initially cautioned that the disruption could last up to 10 days which an extraordinary step for a single commercial airport.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA, in coordination with the Pentagon, temporarily shut down the airspace to address a potential security threat posed by a cartel-operated drone. “The threat has been neutralised and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” Duffy said in a social media post, announcing the resumption of flights.
Airline sources indicated that the shutdown stemmed from coordination challenges between the FAA and the Pentagon as authorities evaluated whether counter-drone measures being deployed could themselves pose risks to civilian aircraft. The FAA has not detailed how those safety concerns were resolved so quickly.
The brief closure stranded several aircraft operated by Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines at El Paso International Airport, which serves around 4 million passengers each year. The flight restrictions also extended to parts of rural airspace in neighboring New Mexico.
Airlines said they were caught off guard by the early-morning announcement. Southwest Airlines noted that the impact on its operations would likely be minimal, affecting 23 scheduled departures for the day.
The decision drew political criticism, with Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas warning on social media that what he called a “rash decision” could undermine public confidence in aviation safety, according to the Reuters report.
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