“Special security reasons” have led to a 10-day halt on all flights to and from the El Paso International Airport in Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday.
There has been no elaboration on the “special security reasons” by the FAA. The restriction of the airspace over El Paso and the neighbouring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, has come into effect today at 6:30 AM UTC (11:30 PM ET), and will end at the same time on Feb. 21.
“No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this Notice to Airmen (NOTAM),” the FAA has said. It listed “temporary flight restrictions for special Security Reasons” as the reason for the ban.
The lack of details on the suspension of flights has led to widespread speculation. The FAA spokesperson, however, told NBC News that they could not comment beyond what has already been stated.
The El Paso International Airport has also been tight-lipped about the development and is yet to comment. The airport, however, took to social media and confirmed the development.
“All flights, including commercial, cargo, and general aviation, have been grounded,” the airport posted on social media. “Travellers should contact their airlines to get the most up-to-date flight status information.”
Some of the major US airlines, including Southwest, Delta, United, and American, fly from the El Paso airport.
The last flight to land at the airport was an American Airlines flight from Chicago. It landed at 10.57 p.m local time on Tuesday. A private plane from Everett, WA, was diverted to an airport in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Chris Canales, the City Council member, took to Facebook to speak about the closure. He wrote that he has been trying to get more information about the issue.
“We have no reason to believe that there is any kind of imminent safety threat to El Paso,” he wrote, “but we still have no reason to provide by the FAA or any federal authority.”
He said that the lack of explanation is obviously fueling fear and speculation in the community. He termed the lack of an advanced notice to the local government “especially troubling.” Canales feared that the economic hit due to the closure could be $40-50 million or more.
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