An airspace restriction along the international boundary has drastically reduced flights coming into the Nogales International Airport. Ironically, the mandate won’t affect most airport traffic.

Larry Tiffen, airport manager, said he has seen a significant drop in business since the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction (TFR) earlier this month. The TFR requires pilots flying at 18,000 feet to maintain radio and radar contact while passing through the area every night for the rest of the year.

Pilots, fearful of FAA sanctions, tend to avoid areas mentioned in TFRs altogether, Tiffen explained.

“It’s having a negative financial impact on the airport,” he said, pointing out that most planes coming to the airport are flying at altitudes ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 feet. As such, the TFR would not apply to them.

“Above or below 18,000 feet, it’s business as usual,” he said.

UAV flights
The restriction was put in place because of unmanned aerial vehicle flights monitoring illegal cross-border traffic. The U.S. Border Patrol uses a Predator B UAV at night as part of its border control strategy, said Salvador Zamora, agency spokesman in Washington, D.C.

Zamora said UAV flights fall under FAA regulations, just like any other air traffic. The Predator B flies at altitudes greater than 15,000 feet, which creates a unique situation for an agency with lots of experience with aircraft, he said, explaining that most airplanes and helicopters used by Customs and Border Protection fly at much lower altitudes.

Source and more info: Nogales International