Why did the FAA floor El Paso flights?

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The FAA reopened El Paso’s airport early Wednesday, saying a drone-related safety menace had been neutralized.

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a ban on most flights around El Paso, Texas, early Wednesday, Feb. 11. The company had instituted the ban late Tuesday successfully shutting down operations on the metropolis’s airport.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned in a social media post that the closure, which initially had been anticipated to final into Feb. 21, was ordered due to a drone incursion into U.S. airspace close to the airport.

“The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” the publish mentioned. “The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming.”

In its preliminary notice in regards to the closure, the company cited “special security reasons” because the catalyst for the closure, however didn’t present additional data.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the precise cause for the airspace closure remained unclear.

Did navy pursue Mexican cartel drones? Conflicting tales emerge

While Duffy’s publish recommended it was the results of felony overseas drone exercise, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned throughout a Feb. 11 information convention that there was no details about drones on the border.

Citing unnamed sources, CBS News reported that the closure was associated to Pentagon drone testing, not an lively navy operation.

A social media post from the El Paso airport acknowledged the closure.

“All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The FAA has issued a flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information,” the publish mentioned.

Which airways fly to El Paso?

The airport is served by:

• Alaska Airlines.
• American Airlines and American Eagle.
• Delta Air Lines.
• Frontier Airlines.
• Southwest Airlines.
• United Airlines and United Express.

Those airways had been scheduled to function a complete of 43 departures from the airport on Feb. 11, all of which had been prone to be canceled, based on Cirium, an aviation analytics firm. Cirium’s knowledge exhibits that these flights might carry greater than 5,900 passengers complete.

With 19 flights, Southwest had essentially the most scheduled departures at El Paso on Feb. 11, adopted by American with 12 scheduled departures, based on Cirium.

Are there waivers for affected passengers?

United and Southwest issued journey waivers to supply affected passengers further flexibility in rebooking their flights.

The restriction coated a ten‑mile space round El Paso and utilized to all airspace from the bottom as much as almost 18,000 ft. Under the restriction, plane weren’t allowed to fly within the space except they acquired particular authorization from federal officers. It didn’t have an effect on close by Mexican airspace.

Robert W. Mann Jr., a former airline govt officer and present president of R.W. Mann and Co., an impartial airline consultancy, mentioned the transfer was “unprecedented. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

What to do in case your flight was affected by the closure

Travelers are inspired to contact their airways for the most recent flight standing and rebooking data.

If your flight was affected by the airport closure, you’re entitled to a full refund should you select to not journey. Airlines will seemingly attempt to reaccommodate affected passengers, however El Paso is tons of of miles from different airports with industrial service.

Among the closest are Albuquerque, New Mexico, not less than a three-and-a-half-hour drive away, and Tucson, Arizona, a few four-and-a-half-hour drive away, based on Google Maps.

Southwest Airlines acknowledged the closure in an announcement to USA TODAY.

“At the direction of the FAA, Southwest has paused all operations to and from El Paso International Airport. We have notified affected Customers and will share additional information as it becomes available. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees,” the assertion mentioned.

The airline didn’t specify how prospects had been being reaccommodated. The different airways serving El Paso didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from USA TODAY.

Planes, crews had been caught

Mann, the aviation advisor, warned that along with flight cancellations, airplanes and crews might have been caught in El Paso at some stage in the closure.

“The [temporary flight restrictions] are absolute unless the carriers and operators get waivers. Presumably, if they can move the airplanes, they’re going to want to move the crews,” he mentioned.

For each passengers and crews, El Paso’s location is an additional complicating issue.

“El Paso is basically distant. There’s nothing handy that you just’re going to have the ability to fly to as an alternate. You’re speaking hours away” by car, Mann said, suggesting that airlines may have to resort to moving crews over land to get them out of the city.

This is a developing story.

Contributing: Aaron Bedoya, El Paso Times

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.