FAA Abruptly Shuts Down El Paso Airport for 10 Days Over ‘National Defense’—Officials Don’t Know Why, But Here’s What It Could Be

Update: despite announcing a 10-day closure, the restriction as been lifted after mere hours. It appears the issue was “related to a test of new counter-drone technology by the military at [nearby] Fort Bliss.”

The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) February 11, 2026

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The FAA issued a temporary flight restriction shutting down a 10-nautical mile radius around El Paso airport – near the border with Mexico – from ground level up to 18,000 feet. They did it with virtually no notice and it lasts for 10 days. It’s a nearly unprecedented move, classifying this as “National Defense Airspace.”

The restriction cites 49 USC 40103(b)(3) national defense and security authority over airspace with criminal charges for willful violation of a fine and up to 1 year imprisonment.

• The notice invokes 14 CFR 99.7 “Special Security Instructions.” This genreally involves FAA acting pursuant to agreement with the Department of Defense or another federal security agency.

• The El Paso airport is closed for arrivals and departures, but the area is not closed for overflight at cruise altitude (planes won’t generally have to be re-routed). There’s no carveout for law enforcement or military activity.

• We don’t know why this is being done – and it’s unusual for its 10-day duration with mere hours of notice.

• There’s very little option for travelers in the area. Las Cruces, New Mexico is about 35 miles away, served only by Advanced Air. Midland, Texas is a four hour drive away. Best bets are going across the border to Juarez, Mexico or driving to Albuquerque.

Here’s the FAA temporary flight restriction for 10 nautical miles around El Paso “for Special Security Reasons.” The airport posted to social media that they were closed as of Monday night at 11:30 p.m. – for 10 days.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by El Paso International Airport (@flyelp)

Listen to air traffic control tell the pilot of arriving Southwest 1249 from Houston to El Paso that the plane and pilot… would not be leaving in the morning:

Odd national security pop-up TFR in El Paso, Texas

The control power just informed a southwest flight. They just got noticed that a TFR ha gone into effect for 10 days for national security reasons. The airport has been shut down for 10 days.

Via @theATCapp pic.twitter.com/r96MrpRiXx

— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) February 11, 2026

This is not the only flight restriction that has been put in place. (HT: JonNYC) The Santa Teresa restriction is not on the Santa Teresa airport (KDNA) but sits over the East Potrillo Mountains area.

An additional TFR was issued for a portion of the New Mexico border a short distance, but not adjacent to, the El Paso TFR.

Unlike typical VIP TFRs, both of these prohibit ALL aircraft operations within their boundaries. There is no carveout for aircraft in communications with… https://t.co/kmnZxiGs1m pic.twitter.com/CZDG9E04O4

— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) February 11, 2026

Local officials were caught unaware.

El Paso City Councilmember Chris Canales confirmed to me that he is not aware of anyone receiving prior warning from the FAA. pic.twitter.com/89lqqc0Re9

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 11, 2026

So what’s possibly going on here?

• The Wall Street Journal cites a prior notice of drone activity. A localized restriction below 18,000 feet fits where drones, shoulder-fired threats, and helicopter activity fit. The suggestion is that a security or intelligence agency is driving the request. This seems low-likelihood on its own unless linked to the next item – dealing with Mexican drug cartels would may be the source of the drones.

• A classified Department of Defense operation. Two nearby restrictions look like an operational area and a transit secondary area. And it would explain ‘nobody will say why this is happening’. Obviously possibilities include activity related to immigration or drugs.

• This doesn’t look like VIP movement, which would be shorter and would label the reason (e.g. the Presidential flight restriction over Palm Beach for the holidays).

The most obvious time an airspace restriction of this nature has happened was the nationwide shutdown and ground stop in the aftermath of 9/11. Even there, it lasted 3 days not 10 (though National airport in DC was closed for 23 days).

Since this is so unusual there’s naturally speculation over aliens, nuclear weapons, and myriad other conspiracies. Still, El Paso is 750 miles from Area 51.