The surprise closure this week of the airspace over El Paso, Texas, has exposed a "strained relations" between two key departments in President Donald Trump's administration, according to a report.
The Federal Aviation Administration abruptly restricted all civilian aircraft Wednesday around Fort Bliss, which is immediately adjacent to El Paso International Airport, but reversed the order hours later. CNN's Pete Muntean reported on the conflicting statements coming from government officials.
"All of our reportingreally underscores thisbreakdown in communicationbetween every federal agencyinvolved here," Muntean said. "What's clearfrom key government officials isthat the FAA's decision to haltflights around El Paso caughtparts of the Trumpadministration off guard, and nowthere's this intense blame gameunfolding inside the White House. Remember, this allcenters on a counter-dronesystem in use near the border. The technology uses what'scalled a high-energy laser, andthat laser uses concentratedheat to disable drones."
Sources told the aviation correspondent that FAA officialswere concerned about thesystem's deployment at Fort Bliss and itspotential harm to civilianflights landing and departingthere.
"Two senior administrationofficials tell CNN that the White House was furious with theFAA for shutting down theairspace, one top officialtelling us that FAA Administrator Brian Bedforddecided to close the airspacewithout alerting the White House, Pentagon or Homeland Securityofficials," Muntean said.
"But other parts ofthe administration are pointingfingers in the other direction,questioning why Homeland Security and the Pentagon wereusing this laser without fullycoordinating with the FAA.There's also pretty bigdisagreement about who knew whatand who knew when. One sourcedisputes that the White Housewas kept in the dark, sayingthat the National Security Council senior staff there and Homeland Security council seniorstaff were told in advance thata temporary flight restrictionwas coming."
"The bottom linehere, I know it sounds like amess," he added. "This really has sparkedmajor tension inside the Trumpadministration about who bearsresponsibility for all this, whothe catalyst was. None of theagencies involved here haveresponded to our request forcomment.
"You also have to setthis against the backdrop ofreally strained relations sincelast year's deadly midaircollision over the Potomac Riverinvolving that commercial jetand an Army helicopter, and justyesterday, NTSB chair Jennifer Holliday told a Senate committeethat the lack of coordinationbetween the military and the FAAhad been what she called, quote, 'astounding.'"