FAA shuts down El Paso Airport, flights suspended for 10 days: Here’s why

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has halted all flights from El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days.

According to aviation authorities, the airspace would be closed over El Paso and a large swathe of southern Mexico west of Santa Teresa.

Without citing specific explanation, the FAA said they have taken the decision due to “special security reasons.” El Paso is the headquarters for Fort Bliss which is one of the major US Army posts.

The restriction applies to all flights to and from El Paso, including commercial, cargo, and general aviation operations.

In response to FAA’s issued unexplained notices, El Paso International airport issued a statement, “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….is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST).”

“Travelers should contact their airlines to get the most up-to-date flight status information,” the airport authorities added.

El Paso is a major border city in West Texas, hosting a population of more than 670,000 people and it shares its territory with the US-Mexico border.