All flights to and from El Paso airport in Texas halted for 10 days for ‘security reasons’

All flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas have been canceled for “special security reasons,” the Federal Aviation Administration said early Wednesday. “No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,” the FAA said, using the abbreviation for Notice to Airmen. It listed the reason as “temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons.” It did not elaborate on why the restrictions had been put in place for El Paso, which borders Mexico.The restriction for the airspace over El Paso and the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico came in at 6:30 a.m. UTC, or coordinated universal time (11:30 p.m. ET). It will end at the same time on Feb. 21. The airport confirmed the development in a travel advisory issued on social media, saying that all flights “including commercial, cargo and general aviation” were grounded. “Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information,” it added. The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from NBC News.Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.Jay Blackman and Christiana Corporon contributed.



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