All flights to and from El Paso International Airport were suspended early Wednesday due to what the Federal Aviation Administration described as “special security reasons.”

In a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), the FAA said no pilots may operate aircraft within the affected airspace, citing “temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons.” The restrictions, which cover El Paso, Texas, and neighboring Santa Teresa, New Mexico, took effect at 6:30 a.m. UTC (11:30 p.m. ET) and are scheduled to remain in place until the same time on Feb. 21.

The FAA did not provide details about the nature of the security concern. However, the NOTAM classified the airspace as national defense airspace and warned that deadly force could be used if an aircraft is deemed to pose “an imminent security threat.” It also stated that pilots could be intercepted, detained, and questioned by law enforcement or security personnel.

The FAA did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

The airport, which handled approximately 3.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025, confirmed the closure in a social media advisory, stating that all flights — including commercial, cargo, and general aviation — were grounded. Travelers were advised to check directly with their airlines for updated flight information.

Major carriers operating out of El Paso include Southwest, Delta, United, and American Airlines.

According to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, the last commercial arrival before the closure was an American Airlines flight from Chicago that landed at 10:57 p.m. local time Tuesday. A private aircraft scheduled to land at 1:13 a.m. from Everett, Washington, was diverted to Las Cruces, New Mexico. No additional arrivals were scheduled until after 9 a.m. Wednesday.