Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - The good news, in regards to the 10-hour shutdown of the El Paso International Airport, is it had no impact at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
"We don't have any direct flights between Buffalo and El Paso, so it was really business-as-usual," said Kelly Khatib, NFTA spokesperson. "Things were and are running smoothly."
But what happened at El Paso does serve as a cautionary tale for Buffalo and all other municipal airports, says Dr. Steven MacMartin, local security expert and Hilbert College adjunct professor.
Increased use of drone technology by drug cartels and terrorist groups, as was the case in El Paso with Mexican drug cartels, does mean that any airport is vulnerable and a candidate for the an immediate shut down, like what happened late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning in Texas.
"What the FAA did is very rare," MacMartin said.
MacMartin said it is likely another airport, perhaps in a southern state, may be facing an unexpected FAA shutdown because of drone-related issues.
"I can definitely see it happening in the future," MacMartin said.
With Buffalo being a border city to Canada, does it make airports in Cheektowaga and Niagara Falls possible shut down targets?
Not likely, MacMartin said.
Southern border cities and their airports are more likely because of the rampant use of drone technology by drug cartels to import drugs and bypass security checkpoints, MacMartin said.
"We've had some examples locally, but it was mostly someone from Canada trying to bring something for personal use," MacMartin said.
Does that mean the border here is any less secure than in Texas?
No, MacMartin said.
"Because of all the commercial and personal traffic, it is a different situation," MacMaster said. "But, don't think that at some point in the future, it may happen here."
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