NEW YORK—Elected officials joined Brooklyn residents gathered at Pier 6 in Brooklyn on Sunday to call for an end to all tourist helicopter flights from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH).
One year ago, helicopter tour flights were banned from West 30th Street Heliport, and as a result, the majority of these helicopters have migrated to the DMH, causing constant noise pollution.
A ban on helicopter tourism is not an issue that can be addressed with city or state legislation, and officials are asking the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the helicopter industry to comply with their demands.
“Chopper tours can’t come at the expense of our neighborhood’s quality of life,” state Sen. Daniel Squadron said. “I appreciate that for a year, EDC and the helicopter industry have worked cooperatively to create regulations, but at this point the surest way to offer the community relief is to end the tourist flights from DMH.”
Squadron says that the helicopter industry has already made many voluntary concessions such as route changes and changes based on complaints received on the city’s 311 call line. But the industry has already done what is possible because the NYC ports are so densely located. “There are too many helicopters in too dense an area.”
Assemblywoman Joan Millman said the noise has been a major issue for over a decade now, and last May significant route changes were made, but it only moved the noise elsewhere.
Rep. Jerold Nadler said that the changes have made a little difference. For instance, they’ve stopped flying over Central Park West, and the EDC has been cooperative with their suggestions for at least seven years now. However, he feels that they’ve tried everything they can and “there is no solution as long as you have tourist helicopters.”
One nearby resident said the helicopters flew over every five minutes and reminded him of the Vietnam War. “There’s going to be an accident,” the resident said.
State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery said that while she recognized the importance of tourism in New York City, many of the tour flights are New Jersey-based and “contribute nothing substantial and undermine the property values and quality of life for thousands of tax paying New York City households and businesses.”
“Compromises have been tried, but these flight operators continue to abuse our people. So now it is time to stop them completely,” Montgomery stated in a press release.
The Eastern Region Helicopter Council, a non-profit organization working closely with pilots, the FAA, and communities, is against this proposal. Chairman Jeffery Smith said in a statement that profits from sightseeing tours directly support the “Helicopter Emergency Response Program,” and banning all tourist helicopters is an “extremely misguided” move that would also be detrimental to the economy.
“Banning tourism flights will cripple a significant component of the City’s tourism industry, an industry that has kept New York’s economy going in times of financial struggle,” Smith said.
He urged the officials to work closely with the EDC to continue making changes without banning tourist helicopters entirely.
One year ago, helicopter tour flights were banned from West 30th Street Heliport, and as a result, the majority of these helicopters have migrated to the DMH, causing constant noise pollution.
A ban on helicopter tourism is not an issue that can be addressed with city or state legislation, and officials are asking the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the helicopter industry to comply with their demands.
“Chopper tours can’t come at the expense of our neighborhood’s quality of life,” state Sen. Daniel Squadron said. “I appreciate that for a year, EDC and the helicopter industry have worked cooperatively to create regulations, but at this point the surest way to offer the community relief is to end the tourist flights from DMH.”
Squadron says that the helicopter industry has already made many voluntary concessions such as route changes and changes based on complaints received on the city’s 311 call line. But the industry has already done what is possible because the NYC ports are so densely located. “There are too many helicopters in too dense an area.”
Assemblywoman Joan Millman said the noise has been a major issue for over a decade now, and last May significant route changes were made, but it only moved the noise elsewhere.
Rep. Jerold Nadler said that the changes have made a little difference. For instance, they’ve stopped flying over Central Park West, and the EDC has been cooperative with their suggestions for at least seven years now. However, he feels that they’ve tried everything they can and “there is no solution as long as you have tourist helicopters.”
One nearby resident said the helicopters flew over every five minutes and reminded him of the Vietnam War. “There’s going to be an accident,” the resident said.
State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery said that while she recognized the importance of tourism in New York City, many of the tour flights are New Jersey-based and “contribute nothing substantial and undermine the property values and quality of life for thousands of tax paying New York City households and businesses.”
“Compromises have been tried, but these flight operators continue to abuse our people. So now it is time to stop them completely,” Montgomery stated in a press release.
The Eastern Region Helicopter Council, a non-profit organization working closely with pilots, the FAA, and communities, is against this proposal. Chairman Jeffery Smith said in a statement that profits from sightseeing tours directly support the “Helicopter Emergency Response Program,” and banning all tourist helicopters is an “extremely misguided” move that would also be detrimental to the economy.
“Banning tourism flights will cripple a significant component of the City’s tourism industry, an industry that has kept New York’s economy going in times of financial struggle,” Smith said.
He urged the officials to work closely with the EDC to continue making changes without banning tourist helicopters entirely.
