FAA Shut Down El Paso Airspace Over Pentagon Laser Plan (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: We now know why the Federal Aviation Administration did an unprecedented airspace shutdown on Wednesday over El Paso, Texas.

[00:00:07] Speaker 2: And it's a complete ground stop. Not even medevacs are allowed to fly. Wow.

[00:00:12] Speaker 1: Multiple sources are now telling CNN that the Pentagon planned to begin using a high energy counter drone laser in the area without consulting with the FAA on the risk to civilian flights. The FAA responded by instituting a 10 day long, 10 mile temporary flight restriction, although it ultimately ended after only about eight hours. It was all to get to a February 20th planned meeting between the Pentagon and the FAA about these flight risks. Seems the Pentagon was still going to move forward with using this laser. All these new details really undercut the White House explanation that this was all because of a Mexican cartel drone that wandered into U.S. airspace. This effectively shut down El Paso International Airport, serves about 100 flights each day, and it's just south of Fort Bliss and Biggs Army Airfield where there are often drone operations. The Pentagon still not really coming clean here on whether or not it plans to continue using this high powered laser.