El Paso Airspace Briefly Closed for High-Energy Laser Tests

FAA Administrator closed airspace without alerting White House, Pentagon, or Homeland Security officials

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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New details have emerged about a disagreement between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense that led to the brief airspace closure in El Paso, Texas. The Pentagon had been planning to test high-energy laser technology at Fort Bliss, but defense officials grew impatient and wanted to test the technology sooner. This prompted the FAA Administrator to close the airspace without alerting other government officials, citing safety concerns after a party balloon was mistaken for a drone and shot down.

Why it matters

The airspace closure highlights tensions between the FAA and the Pentagon over the testing of new military technologies and their potential impact on civilian air traffic. It also raises questions about communication and coordination between different government agencies on matters of national security and public safety.

The details

According to CBS News, the Pentagon officials wanted to test the high-energy laser technology at Fort Bliss sooner, stating that U.S. Code 130i requirements governing the protection of certain facilities from unmanned aircraft had been met. However, the FAA Administrator, Bryan Bedford, decided to close the airspace on Tuesday night without alerting the White House, Pentagon, or Homeland Security officials. The FAA issued a critical bulletin to pilots and airlines, warning them to stay above 18,000 feet for the next 10 days and that violators risked being shot down.

  • On Tuesday night, the FAA Administrator closed the airspace in El Paso.
  • The airspace restrictions were in place for 10 days, until the matter was discussed on Wednesday morning in a regular meeting at the White House chief of staff's office.

The players

Bryan Bedford

The FAA Administrator who decided to close the airspace in El Paso without alerting other government officials.

Susie Wiles

The White House chief of staff who was present in the meeting where the airspace restrictions were discussed and lifted.

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What’s next

The FAA lifted the airspace restrictions within minutes of the matter being discussed in the regular meeting at the White House chief of staff's office.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the need for better coordination and communication between government agencies, especially when it comes to testing new military technologies that could impact civilian air traffic. It also raises concerns about the potential for mistakes and overreactions when it comes to national security measures.