FAA halts all El Paso airport flights for 'special security reasons,' threatens 'deadly force' against threats
The FAA has grounded all flights to and from the El Paso airport
FAA grounds all El Paso flights for 10 days
Former FAA safety team member Kyle Bailey joins 'Fox & Friends' to weigh in on a sudden shutdown of El Paso airspace due to security reasons.
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas for the next 10 days, the agency announced Wednesday, warning that the U.S. government "may use deadly force" against an aircraft in violation, if it is deemed to pose "an imminent security threat."
All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The restriction is effective from February 10 at 11:30 p.m. MST to February 20 at 11:30 p.m. MST. The FAA cited "special security reasons" for the closure, but did not elaborate.
The no-fly restriction applies to airspace over El Paso as well as nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
A sign at the El Paso International Airport (ELP) on December 25, 2025, in El Paso, Texas. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images / Getty Images)
El Paso airport issued a statement confirming the closure on Wednesday.
"Travelers should contact their airlines to get the most up-to-date flight status information," it said in a statement.
TRUMP SAYS CUBA IS 'READY TO FALL' AFTER CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA'S MADURO
A person watches an Air Canada airplane being towed away from a gate at Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport on February 6, 2024, in Toronto, Canada. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Former FAA safety team member Kyle Bailey told Fox News on Wednesday that a 10-day restriction like this is "unprecedented." He also noted the airport's proximity to the Fort Bliss Army post.
"It's definitely something like a national security event, a high-level VIP," Bailey speculated, "but the interesting thing is that on the Mexican side of the border there is no flight restriction."
President Donald Trump speaks to journalists after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
"I think it's safe to say that it's something very big, either from a national security standpoint or perhaps testing something — equipment or something going into the air around the vicinity of those bases," he added.
FOX Business' Bonny Chu contributed to this report.