Drone Flights Banned In 4 Hudson County Towns By Feds

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Federal officials continue to assure the public that they don't believe there's a threat from large drones spotted around the state — but they've now banned drone flights through mid-January in 22 cities, including in Hudson County.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary ban on drone flights until Jan. 17, they announced overnight

The notices say the ban is for "special security reasons."

Hudson County towns included in the ban are:

• Bayonne
• Harrison
• Jersey City
• Kearny

Reports say the sites include areas such as the Salem Nuclear Plant, the area around Red Bull Arena in Harrison and the container yards and port in Kearny.

Recently, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O'Dea weighed in, saying, "As a Commissioner of Hudson County, I am deeply concerned about the recent drone sightings in our airspace, particularly in Jersey City, given the close proximity to Newark Airport. These unauthorized drones not only pose a serious threat to public safety and security but also create significant risks to air traffic, potentially leading to dangerous situations."

Drones are banned with exceptions, such as for law enforcement use. See the temporary flight restrictions here.

READ MORE: Feds Ban Drones Over Multiple NJ Towns

READ MORE: Wyckoff Warns Of Drone Sightings, Tells Residents To Report Them To FBI

Patch Editor Karen Wall contributed to this report.