US aviation regulator halts all flights to and from El Paso, Texas, for 10 days

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA)—The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted all flights to and from El Paso, Texas, for 10 days on Wednesday.

The restriction, which took effect at 23:30 MST (GMT0630) on Feb. 10 and remains in place until 23:30 MST on Feb. 20, prohibits all aircraft operations, including commercial, cargo and general aviation.

It also applies to the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, according to the FAA notice.

The FAA did not immediately release detailed information about the reason for the restriction. Officials at El Paso International Airport said the order was issued on short notice and appears to be security-related.

“The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM,” the airport said in a statement.

Airport staff have contacted the FAA and are awaiting additional guidance, the statement said.

Commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction. Travelers are encouraged to contact their airlines for updates on flight status.

El Paso is located in far West Texas along the US-Mexico border.