A notice to pilots classified the area as "national defense airspace," and warned that deadly force may be used against aircraft violating the restriction, standard language for such designations. What they're saying: "All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation," El Paso International Airport posted on Facebook early Wednesday. "Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information."
As court documents describe, the FAA issues a temporary restriction that prohibits all aircraft, including drones, from operating within a three-nautical-mile radius of any stadium with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more people during, among other events, regular or post-season NFL games. The "stadium airspace is defined as "National Defense Airspace" and remains in effect for a specified time period before, during, and after NFL games at Levi's Stadium - which will include the Feb. 8 Super Bowl.