The FAA briefly grounded all flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for 10 days beginning Wednesday, citing unspecified “special security” instructions, before lifting the order just hours later.
The temporary restriction covered a 10-nautical-mile radius around the airport, which sits near Biggs Army Airfield and the U.S.–Mexico border. Officials did not disclose details about the security concern.
Rep. Veronica Escobar described the move as “unprecedented” and said there was no immediate threat to the community. Airlines including United and Southwest offered flexibility to travelers affected by the short-lived disruption, CNBC has reported.
El Paso International Airport serves roughly 3.5 million passengers annually and had more than 1,300 departures scheduled this month.
