The temporary closure of El Paso airport by the Federal Aviation Administration due to safety concerns related to the deployment of a military laser-based anti-drone system was strongly criticized by the leading Democrat on the Senate’s commerce committee on Thursday.
The FAA made the decision to shut down the Texas airport for 10 days after the Pentagon announced plans to deploy the anti-drone system without a complete safety assessment. However, they quickly reversed this decision eight hours later and lifted the shutdown.
During a hearing, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington highlighted the need for better coordination between the Department of Defence and the FAA to address such issues.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the Pentagon authorized U.S. Customs and Border Protection to utilize the anti-drone laser in the area on Wednesday.
The abrupt closure of the airport, ranked as the nation’s 71st busiest, in a city bordering Mexico’s Juarez, caused inconvenience to air travelers and disrupted medical evacuation operations. Initially, the FAA cited “special security reasons” for the closure, affecting an airport that serves four million passengers annually.
Government and airline officials, speaking anonymously, revealed that the FAA closed the airspace out of concerns that the Army’s laser-based counter-drone system could endanger air traffic. The Army’s decision to proceed without FAA approval led to the temporary halt in flights.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chair of the commerce committee, called for a classified briefing to gain a better understanding of the situation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who oversees the FAA, attributed the closure to a drone incursion by a Mexican drug cartel, a claim that raised questions given the usual response to drone sightings near airports.
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, representing a district along Texas’s border with Mexico, noted the common occurrence of cartel drone incursions in the area.
Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security’s counter-drone program, testified to Congress about the frequent use of drones by cartels for illicit activities along the border.
Mexican officials, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed skepticism about Duffy’s explanation for the airport closure.
This incident highlighted communication challenges between the FAA and the Pentagon, reminiscent of a previous lack of coordination that contributed to a fatal midair collision near Washington, D.C., last year.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Army veteran familiar with aviation matters, criticized the lack of coordination within the administration regarding such critical issues.
The closure of El Paso airport led to the cancellation of fourteen flights and rerouting of medical evacuation missions during the eight-hour disruption.