Can you hear me now?
For too long Manhattanites have complained about oppressive noise from non-essential helicopter flights that ruins outdoor events, enjoyment of green space and peace at home. I recently received a call from an older adult who lives in a small Upper West Side apartment who complained about the incessant helicopter noise. On good-weather days, she has to close her windows and turn on the air conditioner to escape the constant buzz of choppers overhead and nearby. She only finds relief when it rains.
From river to river, helicopter noise penetrates all of Manhattan — and it is only getting worse. This is a persistent disturbance caused by investor-backed companies shepherding tourists and wealthy travelers through the sky. We must prioritize the health and well-being of New Yorkers, businesses and attractions by eliminating non-essential helicopter flights over the city.
From 2020 to 2021, helicopter-related noise complaints to 311 increased from 10,359 to 25,821, with 21,620 of those complaints coming from Manhattan. There has been a 2,329% increase in these complaints to 311 in the last five years.
The city is limited in its ability to regulate its own airspace; its authority is superseded by the Federal Aviation Administration. Despite what local officials may do to regulate local heliports, the city has no authority to restrict the actions of flights from out of state. So tour companies from New Jersey can fly over spaces like Central Park and Governors Island, and charter flights can fly into Manhattan over Queens and Brooklyn.
Chartered helicopter flights by companies like Blade, which offers trips from Manhattan to NYC area airports, are a growing nuisance. Advocates have reported that many Blade helicopters fly with their tail number blocked, meaning operators cannot be identified, which reduces the ability to identify patterns and trends, and hold bad actors accountable. Federal law bizarrely permits private aircraft owners and operators to conceal their registration numbers.
There are three heliports in New York City; the downtown heliport on Pier 6 on the East River, the W. 30th St. heliport on Pier 40 on the Hudson River, and the E. 34th St. heliport located on the East River Greenway between the East River and the FDR Drive viaduct. The mayor and the governor have the authority to end non-essential flights taking off from these locations, and they should do so immediately.
The downtown and E. 34th St. heliports permit tourist flights, and each year about 30,000 and 18,000 flights utilize these heliports. The W. 30th St. heliport does not permit tourism operators, and experiences about 15,000 liftoffs a year, mostly of charter flights.
There are two main heliports in New Jersey, Kearny and Linden, which allow the operation of tourist flights that come to New York City. Recently, I took a flight to learn first-hand how this problem looks from the air.
Setting aside rising complaints, we’ve made some progress in recent years. In 2016, Mayor de Blasio announced an agreement with the New York City Economic Development Corp. to end all tourist helicopter flights on Sundays, and to reduce flights on other days by 50%. Additionally, flights originating in New York City are now only permitted to fly over the river. In 2018, NYCEDC banned aerial photography helicopter tours from the downtown heliport.
This Council legislative session, I have put forward a proposal that would prohibit sightseeing helicopters from taking off and landing at heliports owned by the city if they exceed certain noise thresholds.
Reps. Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velázquez have put forward a bill that would be the ideal solution. The Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2021 would prohibit non-essential helicopter flights over any city with a population of more than 8 million and a population density exceeding 25,000 people per square mile. That’s us. Additionally, Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii has put forward the Safe and Quiet Skies Act of 2021, which would prohibit commercial air tours from operating within a half-mile of national parks and other protected lands. Both of these bills are in the Subcommittee on Aviation and should come to a hearing.
The FAA has a history of trying to mitigate aircraft noise in populated areas; planes on approach to Reagan National Airport are routed over the Potomac River. Dense areas such as New York City ought to be given similar consideration.
Up in Albany, Sen. Brad Hoylman has proposed a bill creating the right to sue for people exposed to noise pollution from helicopters; amending the Hudson River Park Act to close the W. 30th St. heliport; and amending the City Charter to prohibit the city from leasing space for non-essential helicopter operations. That should pass as well.
All stakeholders must come together to eliminate these flights. New Yorkers and those visiting deserve to live without the harm caused by the noise.
Brewer represents the Upper West Side in the City Council.