A high-energy laser weapon trial and interagency disputes triggered an unprecedented airspace shutdown over El Paso, Texas, disrupting flights and emergency services. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alerted controllers on Feb. 10, 2026, to close skies for 10 days as part of a U.S. Army and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) laser defense exercise. The closure, spanning an 11-mile radius from Sunland Park to Horizon City, halted commercial flights, medical evacuations, and law enforcement air operations.

Officials scrambled to reroute helicopters and warn pilots, with some mistaking the alert for a national security crisis. The incident, the first major airspace shutdown since 9/11, exposed gaps in federal communication and forced hospitals to plan for road-based organ deliveries.