I mean the FAA closed the whole thing….
NOTHING flying for 10 days initially…..
Then reopened it hours later….
The reason given is Mexican cartel drone’s…
*Update…
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.
The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days, stranding some travelers, but the closure ended up only lasting a few hours. The Trump administration said it stemmed from the FAA and Pentagon working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon along the southern border.
One of the people said the laser was deployed near Fort Bliss without coordinating with the FAA, which decided then to close the airspace to ensure commercial air safety. Others familiar with the matter said the technology was used despite a meeting scheduled for later this month between the Pentagon and the FAA to discuss the issue….
…
The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights to and from the airport.
The FAA said in a social media post that it has lifted the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying there was no threat to commercial aviation and that all flights will resume.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that the FAA and the Defense Department “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” He said normal flights are resuming.
What to know:
- El Paso is a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 people, larger when you include the surrounding metro area. It’s a hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city of Ciudad Juárez in Mexico. The airport describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico.
- The closure has left some travelers stranded, with few nearby options. The closest major U.S. airport is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, more than 270 miles away.
- Mexican cartels have long used drones to traffic drugs, control migrant crossings along the border and wage war with rival cartels and authorities. Mexico first issued an international alert about the use of remote-controlled aircrafts in 2010, and the practice has only continued to expand.
…
An administration official says airspace closure was tied to cartel drones
A Trump administration official said the airspace over El Paso was closed after Mexican cartel drones breached the airspace, but said that the Defense Department took action to disable the drones.
Both the FAA and Defense Department have determined there is no threat to commercial travel, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a national security issue.
The official did not say how many drones were involved or what specifically was done to disable them.
This is a developing story….
There could be more….
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