Local leaders react to sudden El Paso, Santa Teresa airspace closure
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)- Late Tuesday night, the FAA held flights to and from El Paso which the agency said was done due for security reasons. The hold for El Paso has been lifted as of 7 am Wednesday morning.
Multiple leaders throughout the Borderland are reacting, some have provided ABC 7 with the following statements:
City of El Paso:
The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Airport staff has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance. In the meanwhile, commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction, which appears to be security related. Travelers are encouraged to contact their airlines to get the latest information on their flight status.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16):
“The highly consequential decision by the FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and resulted in significant concern in the community. From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.
"There was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations.
"We have urged the FAA to immediately lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area.
"I will continue to make information public as I learn it."
Congressman Gabe Vasquez (NM):
"This unprecedented action will affect hundreds of thousands of people and devastate our local economy. The Administration must provide a full justification and restore air travel immediately. It is deeply irresponsible that local authorities were not properly notified or consulted."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum:
The FAA restrictions announced overnight had covered a roughly 11-mile radius around El Paso International Airport, but excluded Mexican airspace. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration didn’t have information about the use of drones around that border area in recent days.
“We’re going to find out exactly what caused the closure,” she said at her daily news conference.
Mexican cartel squads are increasingly using the technology to surveil U.S. law enforcement along the southern border, track drug shipments through ports of entry and drop fentanyl packages in Texas and Arizona deserts.
