El Paso airport and airspace closed without warning for 10 days for ‘national defence’

[brihard]

This is weird as hell. Last night, FAA put in a temporary flight restriction closing El Paso airport with a 10nm bubble up to 18,000 feet. They did this with three hours’ notice and it’s in effect for ten days. Stated reason is ‘national defense airspace’ and the warnings to pilots go all the way to warning of deadly force. There’s another similar TFR zone a bit west right along the border.

No exemptions for military, law enforcement, medevac… Sounds like nobody had a heads up including the civilian airport or Fort Bliss.

Not sure what’s up. I wonder if they’ve suddenly got a fastball warning on a cartel MANPADS or drone threat or something?

All flights at El Paso airport in Texas halted for 10 days for 'security reasons,' FAA says

The notice covers the airspace over El Paso and the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[OldSolduer]

Or aliens and not Mexicans

 

[dapaterson]

This is weird as hell. Last night, FAA put in a temporary flight restriction closing El Paso airport with a 10nm bubble up to 18,000 feet. They did this with three hours’ notice and it’s in effect for ten days. Stated reason is ‘national defense airspace’ and the warnings to pilots go all the way to warning of deadly force. There’s another similar TFR zone a bit west right along the border.

No exemptions for military, law enforcement, medevac… Sounds like nobody had a heads up including the civilian airport or Fort Bliss.

Not sure what’s up. I wonder if they’ve suddenly got a fastball warning on a cartel MANPADS or drone threat or something?

All flights at El Paso airport in Texas halted for 10 days for 'security reasons,' FAA says

The notice covers the airspace over El Paso and the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

www.nbcnews.com

Article suggests that there are about 10,000 passengers daily through the airport (3.5M over the preceding 11 months). Plus cargo.

And closed with about 30 minutes notice.

 

[brihard]

Article suggests that there are about 10,000 passengers daily through the airport (3.5M over the preceding 11 months). Plus cargo.

And closed with about 30 minutes notice.

It was about three hours from issuance of NOTAM to taking effect, but yeah, due to comms lag inbound planes were finding out on final approach.

The more I think about it, this has gotta be some sort of sudden and imminent threat. The airport’s only a few miles from the Mexican border and Ciudad Juarez. Flights IVO El Paso could definitely be threatened from Mexican soil.

 

[dapaterson]

It was about three hours from issuance of NOTAM to taking effect, but yeah, due to comms lag inbound planes were finding out on final approach.

The more I think about it, this has gotta be some sort of sudden and imminent threat. The airport’s only a few miles from the Mexican border and Ciudad Juarez. Flights IVO El Paso could definitely be threatened from Mexican soil.

Or they're relocating Area 51.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Don't you people get that Trump is a Russian agent!

This is the beginning of the maskirovka to provide justification and cover for incursions into Mexico.

 

[Blackadder1916]

This is weird as hell. Last night, FAA put in a temporary flight restriction closing El Paso airport with a 10nm bubble up to 18,000 feet. They did this with three hours’ notice and it’s in effect for ten days. Stated reason is ‘national defense airspace’ and the warnings to pilots go all the way to warning of deadly force. There’s another similar TFR zone a bit west right along the border.

No exemptions for military, law enforcement, medevac… Sounds like nobody had a heads up including the civilian airport or Fort Bliss.

Not sure what’s up. I wonder if they’ve suddenly got a fastball warning on a cartel MANPADS or drone threat or something?

All flights at El Paso airport in Texas halted for 10 days for 'security reasons,' FAA says

The notice covers the airspace over El Paso and the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

www.nbcnews.com

Greatcoats on, greatcoats off.

US lets flights resume at Texas's El Paso airport after brief security halt

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted emergency flight restrictions that had barred all flights to and from Texas' El Paso International Airport, which borders Mexico, after warning flights could be cancelled for 10 days, citing "special security reasons."

www.reuters.com

A U.S. official told Reuters Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Pentagon took action to disable the drones and then the FAA and Pentagon determined there was no threat to commercial travel.
Airline sources earlier told Reuters the grounding of flights was believed to be tied to the Pentagon's use of counterdrone technology to address Mexican drug cartels' use of drones on the U.S.-Mexico border. The flight prohibition also covered some rural air space in neighboring New Mexico.
Some airline sources also said the closure had been due to coordination issues between the Pentagon and FAA.