Military and aviation safety officials have finished a safety assessment of the use of laser to counter drones along the U.S. border with Mexico, weeks after FAA officials abruptly closed the airspace around the El Paso International Airport in Texas. (Jacob Lang/U.S. Army)
Military and aviation safety officials have finished a safety assessment of the use of lasers to counter drones along the U.S. border with Mexico and found a way to move forward that will keep air passengers safe and prevent situations such as one in February that forced a major airport to close unexpectedly.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Department said Friday that they reached an agreement after an assessment that included demonstrations of the high-energy laser system last month at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
This assessment came after FAA officials abruptly closed the airspace around the El Paso International Airport in Texas at 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, stating it would last for 10 days. The move led to chaos among local, state and federal government officials who received no warning of the closure. The closure not only affected the public’s travel plans, but also medical flights carrying surgical equipment to area hospitals.
The decision was reversed the following morning, and the public learned that the use of a laser intended to shoot down drones coming from Mexico was to blame.
“Following a thorough, data-informed Safety Risk Assessment, we determined that these systems do not present an increased risk to the flying public,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. “We will continue working with our interagency partners to ensure the National Airspace System remains safe while addressing emerging drone threats.”
The Pentagon said in a statement it will continue coordinating with the FAA to safely use the laser system and ensure it does not affect civilian aircraft, pilots, navigation equipment, or air traffic services.
Additional details of the agreement were not made available on Friday.
