pull down to refresh
• The FAA classified the zone as “NTL DEFENSE AIRSPACE”. This is framed as a national defense action, not routine aviation management.
• A 10-day, ground-to-~17,000 ft shutdown of a major U.S. metro airport has no modern precedent outside 9/11-era emergency measures.
• The restriction reportedly grounds all aircraft, including military, medevac, and law enforcement , not just commercial flights.
• A sitting member of Congress says there is “no imminent threat” to the community despite the sweeping restriction.
• Airline sources believe the halt is tied to Pentagon counter-drone operations targeting cartel drone activity along the border.
• If accurate, that means border drone warfare is now disruptive enough to ground a major U.S. airport, and the public explanation is essentially “trust us.”
So not sure if you are aware but drone's have for years now been disruptive enough. Airports across the world have had issues with drones almost hitting planes and the tech we have to disable them messes with frequencies.... taking off and landing planes is HEAVILY dependent on that so that is just asking for an accident to happen.
While the 10 day NATOM was overkill and leads me to wonder if they are going to set up more permeant anti drone tech shutting down the air space was easily the smartest and safest measure to make. It just should have been temporary and I am sure since DOW and FAA have already begun talking about the incident (which included multiple drones mind you) we will see what happened and what counter measure were taken.
Courts are now saying it out loud: the presumption of regularity may not apply.
“In just six months, the President… may have forfeited the right… [to] presumption of regularity.”
— Paul L. Friedman — Federal Education Association v. Trump
So in this situation, transparency is reduced, not increased.
What evidence would restore that presumption for you?
So I have found more info I wanted to share. This is believed to be tied to the Pentagon’s use of counter-drone technology to address Mexican drug cartels’ use of drones along the U.S.-Mexico border. More importantly unlike many NOTAM's airlines are cleared to fly over the space if they are flying ABOVE 18,000 ft. Allowing airlines to still cross the airspace if they are flying this high would track if there is something going on with drone tech.
The airport is only 12 miles from Juarez, Mexico so 10 miles likely places it not only at the boarder but also were the US would have firm control of the airspace. They can't really ban Mexico from doing things in its country.... well at least legally speaking.