EL PASO, Texas (KTEP) -
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a temporary flight restriction grounding flights in the El Paso area.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on social media said the Defense Department acted swiftly to address a "cartel drone incursion."
The federal government abruptly shut down airspace early this morning without providing information to local authorities.
"You cannot restrict airspace over a major city without coordinating with the city, the airport, the hospitals, the community leadership," said El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson in an early morning press conference. "That failure to communicate is unacceptable."
The mayor said emergency medical flights were diverted to other airports and the brief restriction created quote "unnecessary chaos and confusion."
The FAA announced flights to and from El Paso would be grounded for 10 days, late Tuesday night only citing "special security reasons"
The restriction included the nearby private airport Santa Teresa, New Mexico but excluded Mexican airspace, according to the FAA.
El Paso officials scrambled to learn more about the notice early Wednesday but did not get any informaiton from the White House or the Defense Department despite the serious nature of the warning.
"Pilots who do not adhere to the following proc may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel."
The notice from the FAA also said "the United States Government may use deadly force against the Airborne Act, if it is determined that the ACFT (aircraft) poses an imminent security threat."
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said there was no immediate threat to the community. And, called the FAA's actions "unprecedented."
"There was no advance notice provided to my office, the city of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations," Escobar said in a statement.
In a Reddit post, City Council representative Chris Canales also said Fort Bliss was also not notified.
"Military does not have carte blanche exemption," he wrote. "Army is fretting about their flights tomorrow just as much as everyone else."
The city including airport staff did not get much notice or information before flights were grounded. Passengers arriving for early flights were turned away and told to contact airlines to reschedule their travel.
Several people told KTEP News they're options included driving several hours to other airports to catch a new flight or get a refund. Other passengers said their airline had automatically rescheduled their flights.
(This is a developing story and will be updated)
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