Is El Paso International Airport One Of Texas’ Most Dangerous?

A list has ranked the most dangerous airports in Texas for takeoffs and landings, keep reading to see how El Paso did.

Pilots and the planes they fly have been subject to federal safety guidelines since the 1930's and airplane mechanics have also been under the governments watch for quite awhile.

The airports themselves didn't start getting any attention from the feds until the early 1970's. Texas was more proactive, creating the Texas Aeronautics Commission to monitor airport safety in 1966.

Back to the 70's - In 1973, POTUS Nixon established federal guidelines for airports to follow as far as safety equipment, policies, etc. Those apply to the airport itself.

Arriving or departing from said airport has its own issues that no policy, federal or otherwise, will fix. Texas Monthly came up with the most dangerous airports in Texas.

Which Texas Airport Is Safest?

Dallas/Fort Worth has the lowest risk as far as takeoffs and landings while their counterpart, Love Field, has a very high risk. Read what makes them so different here.

As far as El Paso International Airport (ELP) goes, the risks of flying in or out are pretty low. There are a few tricky things about ELP though ...

What's Weird About Taking Off And Landing In El Paso?

• At 3,956 feet, ELP has the highest runway in the state. That and our high heat "thin" the air meaning planes here need longer runways than other airports.
• Pilots have to weave their way through 2 different "no fly" zones, the first being Mexico. Flights can't enter Mexican airspace so some tight turns can be needed to follow the proper flightpath, without buzzing Mexico.
• Number 2 is to the north. Biggs Army Airfield is another no fly zone that must be avoided.
• Biggs' runway arrangement also very closely resembles ELP's which can confuse pilots. A third risk.

Read the good, the bad and the ugly about all the other airports in Texas here.