City Council Passes Bills to Limit Nonessential Helicopter Flights
On April 24, the New York City Council approved a package of bills intended to restrict nonessential helicopter flights, aiming squarely at tourist and luxury travel.
One resolution calls upon the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ban all nonessential helicopter flights over New York City. Another urges New York State to establish a noise tax on nonessential helicopter flights.
Introduction 26a, sponsored by Council Majority Leader Amanda Farias, would prohibit helicopters that do not meet the most stringent federal noise standards from operating at the two City-owned heliports, Downtown Manhattan Heliport and the East 34th Street Heliport.
“While the FAA governs airspace, the City has full authority over the use of its heliports,” said Council member Farias at the City Hall podium yesterday. She said that more than 59,000 calls to 311 about helicopter noise were filed in 2023, more than double the year before.
The package of bills still needs Mayor Adams’s signature to become law. If Intro 26a becomes law, it will take effect in late 2029, allowing time for the industry to adapt and for the City to update its contracts with heliport operators.
Council member Farias is optimistic Mayor Adams will sign. “This is a reasonable approach,” she said, confirming that the two City-owned heliports contribute an estimated $78 million annually into the City’s coffers. “Intro 26a preserves essential services and industry activity while targeting the loudest, most disruptive flights.”
“This bill isn’t anti-aviation,” she continued. “It’s pro-safety, pro-innovation, pro-environmental justice; it aligns our infrastructure decisions with our climate goals and affirms that front line communities deserve relief from unnecessary helicopter traffic.”
Community Board 1 chair Tammy Meltzer weighed in. “Lower Manhattan has long advocated for quieter skies and cleaner air. This legislation is a step in the right direction to ensure a timeline to improve both air quality and safety. We look forward to the quieter electric helicopters planned for the Skyport at Pier 6,” she said. “However, our lawmakers need to find partners with our New Jersey neighbors and legislators to pass similar regulations regarding non essential helicopters and noise in order to have robust implementation that delivers real change. Otherwise, our celebrations will be short lived as the tour companies will simply relocate to New Jersey for take offs and landings.”
I applaud this effort. I only question why we need to wait until 2029 for this to take effect. Do they really need four years to figure this out? In the meantime, the noise will remain a major quality of life issue for all who just seek a little quiet in our shared sky.