El Paso

The sudden and surprising closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday—initially announced as a 10-day closure but lasting only a few hours—was due to the Pentagon's plans to test a laser to shoot down drones used by drug traffickers along the border, according to three people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to avoid sharing sensitive details.

This caused friction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which wanted to ensure the safety of commercial flights, and the two agencies attempted to coordinate, according to two of the people.

Despite a meeting scheduled for later this month to discuss the matter, the Pentagon wanted to proceed with the laser test, prompting the FAA to close the airspace over the city on the southern border of the United States. It was unclear whether the laser was ultimately deployed.

The restrictions were only in place for a couple of hours in the city of nearly 700,000, but it's rare for an entire airport to close, even for a short time. Before the order was lifted, stranded travelers with luggage lined up at airline ticket counters and car rental counters.

Normal flights resumed in the morning after seven arrivals and seven departures were canceled. Some medical evacuation flights also had to be diverted.