El Paso flights resume after sudden closure due to drone security concerns

Passengers queue at El Paso International Airport after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted its temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying all flights will resume as normal and that there was no threat to commercial aviation, in El Paso, Texas, U.S., February 11, 2026. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

WASHINGTON, Feb ⁠11 (Reuters) - Flights in and out of the Texas border city of El Paso resumed on Wednesday, after the U.S. government lifted a ban ⁠on air traffic it had abruptly imposed overnight due to concerns about a military anti-drone system.

The sudden closure of the nation's 71st ‌busiest airport by the Federal Aviation Administration stranded air travelers and disrupted medical evacuation flights overnight, in what appeared to be an unprecedented action by the U.S. government. The FAA initially said the closure would last 10 days before lifting it after about seven and a half hours.