The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas for the next 10 days, the agency announced Wednesday.
All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The restriction is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). The FAA cited “special security reasons” for the closure, but did not elaborate.
The no-fly restriction applies to airspace over El Paso as well as nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
The FAA has classified the airspace as “national defense airspace,” with the notification saying deadly force could be used on craft violating the airspace if they are deemed to pose “an imminent security threat.”
El Paso airport issued a statement confirming the closure on Wednesday.
“Travelers should contact their airlines to get the most up-to-date flight status information,” it said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
Read the full article here
