Europe Asia News

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a "temporary flight restriction" notice on its website late Tuesday, stating that an area within a 10-nautical-mile radius and up to 18,000 feet in altitude would be a no-fly zone for all commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights.

FAA said, "No pilot may operate an aircraft in the designated areas." The closure will last until February 20.

No official explanation was given for this highly unusual move, but it was noted that it would not affect Mexican airspace.

The restrictions came so suddenly that in radio communications from El Paso International Airport, received only three hours after the FAA's notification, it was reported that a passenger airplane's pilot was told they would not be able to depart the next day, leaving them stunned.

The air traffic controller is heard asking the pilot of an incoming Southwest plane whether they plan to take off again. The pilot responds, "No, we're going to the hotel."

The controller responds, "Understood. I just want you to know that there will be a [temporary flight restriction] in effect at 06:30 AM for the next 10 days."

The pilot, laughing, asks, "So the airport is completely closed?" The controller replies, "It appears we were notified about 30 to 60 minutes ago."

Temporary flight restrictions are also imposed for natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes, as well as for major sporting events and emergency or national security situations.

The airport announced on its Facebook page that all inbound and outbound flights would be suspended and passengers were urged to contact airlines for the latest flight status information.

The closure of airspace will have a significant impact on the city of approximately 700,000 people, located near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez.

El Paso Airport, which saw around 3.5 million passengers last year, operates many direct flights across the U.S. In photos taken early Wednesday, the airport corridors appeared almost empty. Airport workers told local media they were unsure why all flights had been stopped.