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Ellie Kemp
A major US airport has grounded all flights for 10 days under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) orders.
No flights will take off or land at El Paso International Airport, Texas from Tuesday February 10 until Friday February 20 at 11.30pm, the airport said Tuesday.
The temporary restrictions have been put in place for 'special security reasons,' according to the FAA.
No further details were given as to why.
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The notice added that no pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by the alert, but that this was 'excluding Mexican airspace.'
El Paso International is located five miles from the Mexican border.
It offers flights to central US hubs, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle and San Diego.
It is served by Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United Airlines.
The 'busiest commercial airport serving West Texas, Southern New Mexico and North Central Mexico,' El Paso International handled more than 4,000,000 passengers in 2024.
Flights being grounded for 10 days is bound to cause major travel disruption for commuters and vacationers.
Passengers due to fly within the next 10 days have been advised to contact their airlines to get the most up-to-date flight status information.
The airport added that the restriction had been issued 'on short notice' and it is waiting for further guidance from the FAA.
News outlet El Paso Matters quoted the details of the FAA order: "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."
They continued: "The United States government may use deadly force against the airborne ACFT, if it is determined that the ACFT poses an imminent security threat."
It covers all flights to and from the airport and applies up to a height of 18,000 feet.
The no-fly zone has a radius of 10 miles, covering the Biggs Army Airfield.
The FAA, a subdivision of the US Department of Transportation, is responsible for regulating and overseeing 'all aspects of civil aviation' in the United States.
It handles an average of 44,360 flights a day, as per its website.
UNILAD has contacted El Paso International Airport and the FAA for further details.