The Federal Aviation Administration lifts the closure of airspace over El Paso after announcing a 10-day closure hours earlier

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have halted all flights to and from the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a social media post that it had lifted the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, saying there was no threat to commercial aviation and that all flights would resume.

The closure, announced only hours ago for “special security reasons,” was expected to cause major disruptions given the duration and size of the urban area.

Read more: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is easing commercial aviation restrictions following lockdown pressures, but some restrictions remain

El Paso, a border city with a population of approximately 700,000 and more when you include the surrounding metro area, is a center of cross-border trade along with neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The short closure does not include Mexican airspace.

The airport said in a post on Instagram after announcing the closure that all flights to and from the airport will be suspended from late Tuesday until late February 20, including commercial flights, cargo flights, and general aviation. She suggested travelers contact their airlines for the latest flight information.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. She said no advance notice was given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations.

“The FAA’s momentous decision to close El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has generated significant concern within the community,” Escobar said. “From what my office and I were able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”

The airport describes itself as the gateway to West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there, among others.

Similar temporary flight restrictions were imposed for private security reasons during the same time period around Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of the El Paso airport.

Southwest Airlines said in a statement that it has temporarily suspended all operations to and from El Paso at the direction of the Federal Aviation Administration.

“We have notified affected customers and will share additional information when it becomes available,” Southwest Airlines said. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”