Share and Follow
EL PASO, Texas – In an unexpected turn of events, El Paso International Airport has announced a 10-day suspension of all flights, effective immediately. This information was shared in a recent travel advisory on the airport’s official Facebook page.
The suspension applies to every type of flight, including commercial, cargo, and general aviation operations. This sweeping measure comes following a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which cited “special security reasons” as the cause. The restriction began on February 10th at 11:30 p.m. MST and will continue until February 20th at the same time. However, the FAA has not disclosed further specifics regarding the nature of these security concerns.
This flight suspension extends its impact to nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, yet notably, it does not affect Mexican airspace.
Travelers who had planned to fly during this period are encouraged to reach out directly to their respective airlines to obtain the latest updates and flight status information.
Travelers are asked to contact their airlines for up-to-date flight status information.
The shutdown is likely to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.
The airport describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there, among others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.