Supplemental Info:
The FAA has effectively grounded all flights into and out of El Paso International Airport (ELP) by issuing a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) that closes the airspace around the airport for 10 days.
This restriction, cited for "special security reasons" (with no further public details provided), prohibits all aircraft operations—including commercial, cargo, and general aviation—from approximately 11:30 p.m. MST on February 10, 2026, through 11:30 p.m. MST on February 20, 2026.
It covers a radius around the airport (extending into parts of southern New Mexico near Santa Teresa) and applies from the ground up to about 18,000 feet, with the airspace classified as "national defense airspace" in the FAA notice.
No statements have come from the White House, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, or other agencies explaining it.
The airport has advised travelers to contact airlines for updates, rebookings, or refunds.
This is described as a rare move for a major U.S. city airport, with no advance local notice reported (including to military leadership at nearby Fort Bliss).
View the FAA TFR here: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233
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