El Paso airport closed for 10 days

[FlyersFan]

TV News saying the airport is now NOT going to be closed for 10 days.

Fluid situation.

[dirtydog241]

Suspecting closing it down to maybe cause less chance of cartels targeting aircraft after they start getting smoked by the USAF. could be wrong, just a guess.

[Zaphod58]

Someone screwed up. There’s another NOTAM up for an area nearby in New Mexico. I suspect someone heard “near El Paso” and put one up for the same length for the airport.

[David64]

Well, now we know why...


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mexican...aysMexican cartel drones breach US airspace, are disabled by War Department, Duffy says 

Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels breached American airspace and were soon disabled by the U.S. military, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.
The breach took place near El Paso International Airport in Texas, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close the airport late Tuesday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the breach and lifted the airspace restriction on Wednesday.
"The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," Duffy announced in a statement on X, referring to the Department of War. "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region."

"The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming," he added.

[EXETER]

Full title : FAA halts all flights at El Paso International Airport for 10 days for 'special security reasons'

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/faa-...ty-reasons
 

Why would the FAA close an airport for 10 days for "security" ?

……

Maybe Trump decided to bomb Mexico and then changed his mind.

[putnam6]

The proper framing is "Mexican drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso, Texas; drones disabled".

If verified, it doesn't matter whether they're cartel or government drones. Mexico cannot maintain sovereignty over its airspace. This is casus belli for proactive neighbourly concern.

Come on Budgie

Someone could fly a drone on the border of Mexico and fly it into restricted Tijuana airspace and claim America cannot maintain sovereignty of it's airspace

[UltraBudgie]

Come on Budgie

Someone could fly a drone on the border of Mexico and fly it into restricted Tijuana airspace and claim America cannot maintain sovereignty of it's airspace

NYT is quoting an official as claiming that the shutdown was actually a test of new anti-drone technology¹, and the airspace was cleared for operational safety. If true, that would indicate that drone incursions are considered a persistent possible threat that the government of Mexico is unable to mitigate.

I would not recommend you attempt to fly a drone in the controlled airspace along the US side of the border, especially with intent to cross.. you might find how serious US authorities take these kind of things


¹ https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/11/...ts-airport

[chr0naut]

Well, now we know why...

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mexican...aysMexican cartel drones breach US airspace, are disabled by War Department, Duffy says 

10 days, and all that lost business because of some drones?

It doesn't take 10 days to shoot down some drones.

I'd guess clean-up after a possible broken arrow, or a nasty chemical leak they don't want to admit to, is more likely.

[putnam6]

NYT is quoting an official as claiming that the shutdown was actually a test of new anti-drone technology, and the airspace was cleared for operational safety. If true, that would indicate that drone incursions are considered a persistent possible threat that the government of Mexico is unable to mitigate.

I would not recommend you attempt to fly a drone in the controlled airspace along the US side of the border, especially with intent to cross.. you might find how serious US authorities take these kind of things

Im pointing out what someone could do. Jeez

and do we need a lesson on how to post quotes

Which has nothing to do with Mexico maintaining sovereignty over its airspace

Have we famously had drone incursions over other US airports? Yes or No?

Does that mean the US can't maintain sovereignty of its airspace.

we have an issue with drones because of their increased range, speed, affordability, and abundance of legitimate uses

Sovereign airspace

[David64]

Well....this is embarrassing -

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-mili...icial-says

DronesUS military shot down party balloon near El Paso after suspecting drone, official says 

A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military earlier this week shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially assessing it as a possible foreign drone.
The misidentification eventually led to a total shutdown of airspace around the El Paso airport.