The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary flight restriction on Wednesday halting all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas and parts of southern New Mexico for 10 days, citing “special security reasons”.The restriction, which came into effect February 11 at 0630 UTC, will remain in place until the same time on February 21, covering the airspace over El Paso and the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The temporary restrictions extend across a 10-nautical-mile radius around the city and up to an altitude of 17,999 feet, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the FAA. “No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,” the official notice said.The airport operator said in a travel advisory posted on its official Facebook and Instagram accounts that all commercial, cargo and general aviation flights had been grounded and advised travelers to contact their airlines for updates. An airport operator who answered the phone early Wednesday also confirmed that all flights had been halted because of an FAA order, according to The New York Times.The airport said the restriction had been issued “on short notice” and that it was awaiting further guidance from the FAA, according to a statement cited by CNN affiliate KFOX. In a notice, the FAA said the federal government “may use deadly force” if an aircraft violating the airspace is determined to pose “an imminent security threat”, The New York Times reported.Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, said he had no clear information about the situation. “Sorry, I don’t have some clear answer,” Mr Castro said early Wednesday. When asked if the move was surprising, he replied, “Yes.” Texas State Representative Vincent Perez of El Paso said he had no information about the restriction and added, “I have never heard of an American airspace being shutdown for 10 days, absent a major emergency,” according to The New York Times.El Paso International Airport serves a large area of West Texas and eastern New Mexico, The New York Times noted.This is a developing story.
