By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Transportation will next week brief lawmakers about the abrupt shutdown of Texas’ El Paso airport earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday, adding the decision had not been a mistake.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted traffic at the airport on February 10 and initially said the shutdown would last 10 days, only to reverse course and lift the order after about eight hours.
Reuters and other outlets reported last week that the FAA closed the airspace because of concerns about a military laser-based anti-drone system that was being tested at nearby Fort Bliss.
Duffy, who oversees the FAA, said last week on social media that the closure had been prompted by a drone incursion by a Mexican drug cartel. However, a drone sighting near an airport would typically lead to a brief pause on traffic, not an extended closure.
Asked if his social media post about the incident was wrong, Duffy said at a press conference: “I use the information that I get.”
Lawmakers said the incident showed a lack of coordination between government agencies.
Duffy rejected that idea, saying he worked well with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The sudden closure of the nation’s 71st busiest airport by the FAA stranded air travelers and disrupted medical evacuation flights overnight.
Government and airline officials told Reuters last week the FAA closed the airspace due to concerns the counter-drone system could pose risks to air traffic. The agencies had planned to discuss the issue on February 20, but the Army and Homeland Security Department opted to proceed without FAA approval, sources said, which prompted the FAA to halt flights.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nia Williams)
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