The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday halted all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas, citing “special security reasons” without offering further details.
The airport, located next to the U.S. military’s Biggs Army Airfield and directly across the border from Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez, confirmed in an Instagram post that all operations had been grounded following the sudden directive.
El Paso airport said the restrictions had been issued “on short notice” and it was waiting for additional guidance from the FAA, according to The New York Times.
Flights were also barred from the airspace over the nearby community of Santa Teresa in the U.S. state of New Mexico, the FAA said.
Restrictions would be in place until February 21 and covered a radius of about 10 nautical miles from the airport, not including Mexican airspace, the agency added.
The FAA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for details about the security reasons.
The airport handled 3.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025, according to its website. Major U.S. airlines including Southwest LUV.N, Delta DAL.N, United UAL.O and American AAL.O fly there.
(With Reuters Inputs)
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
