Closing and reopening of El Paso airport disrupts travel plans

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The sudden and surprising airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday disrupted travel plans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The shutdown was expected to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area.

El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when the surrounding metro area is included, is a hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring city of Ciudad Juárez in Mexico.

Juan Palacios was getting ready for his business trip to Houston Wednesday morning when he saw the news that the airport was closed.

"I didn't know what was going on," he said. "Everything was wrong."

Elizabeth Medina was relieved to learn the airport was open again and she was going to be able to catch her flight to India with her husband.

As flights resumed, lines formed at check-in counters for major airlines.

El Paso International Airport calls itself the "gateway to West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico."