El Paso airspace shutdown sparked by "military activity" near border

"How it happened: The FAA's abrupt order to close El Paso's airspace for 10 days came after the Pentagon "was unable to meet the FAA's standards to guarantee safety of civilian aircraft," according to a source familiar with the decision. An administration official told Axios that the Pentagon had been responding to drone activity linked to Mexican cartels. There have been conflicting accounts from other officials and media reports. Early indications point to a communications breakdown between the FAA and the Pentagon."

"An Army spokesperson told Axios the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss was not aware of any threat prior to the closure. "We think we're safe on the base at the moment. There wasn't anything we were tracking." Context: There are few, if any, precedents for an airspace closure of this magnitude - spanning 10 days and barring even emergency and military flights."

"The order was reversed around eight hours later without an explanation for what caused it. The FAA said there was "no threat to commercial aviation." An administration official told Axios that the Pentagon had been responding to drone activity linked to Mexican cartels. There have been conflicting accounts from other officials and media reports. It is unclear at this time why the announcement was not accompanied by assurances that there was no threat to public safety."

El Paso's airspace was ordered closed for ten days and the order was reversed about eight hours later without an explanation. The FAA said there was no threat to commercial aviation. The closure followed a Pentagon inability to meet FAA standards to guarantee safety of civilian aircraft. An administration official said the Pentagon had been responding to drone activity linked to Mexican cartels, and other officials and media offered conflicting accounts. Early indications point to a communications breakdown between the FAA and the Pentagon. An Army spokesperson said the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss was not aware of any threat and the base appeared safe. The closure barred even emergency and military flights and no public explanation has been provided.

Read at Axios