FAA lifts El Paso flight restriction after brief airport shutdown
www.elpasotimes.com
The FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction, halting all flights to and from El Paso and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, until Feb. 20.
  • blueworld@piefed.worldEnglish
    4·
    1 month ago

    The notice, in part, reads: “THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) CLASSIFIES THE AIRSPACE DEFINED IN THIS NOTAM AS ‘NTL DEFENSE AIRSPACE’. PILOTS WHO DO NOT ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PROC MAY BE INTERCEPTED, DETAINED AND INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT/SECURITY PERSONNEL. ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL ACTIONS MAY ALSO BE TAKEN AGAINST A PILOT WHO DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE RQMNTS OR ANY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR PROC ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTAM.”

    It goes on to state that the FAA may take administrative actions and can use “deadly force against the airborne acft, if it is determined that the ACFT poses an imminent security threat.”

    El Paso, Texas airport info

    The airport handled 3.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025. Major U.S. airlines, including Southwest, Delta, United and American, serve the airport. The airlines connect to major hubs in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Houston and Denver.