NYC Council Passes Bill To Curb 'Non-Essential' Chopper Flights

NEW YORK CITY — The New York City Council passed a bill Thursday that would limit helicopter use in the city and nonessential flights by implementing stricter noise restrictions.

The bill, known as the Helicopter Oversight Act, passed by a 46-1 vote with one abstention. The bill was sponsored by Councilmember Amanda Farias of the Bronx.

The passing of the bill comes two weeks after a fatal tourist helicopter crash in the Hudson River that killed six people.

The new legislation would ban “non-essential” flights from city-owned heliports like the Downtown Skyport and 34th Street Heliport unless the choppers meet strict federal noise standards, known as Stage 3, officials said.

The restrictions would take effect in 2029 and would give the helicopter industry time to adapt and for changes to be put into contracts with heliport operators.

Essential operations, including law enforcement, emergency response, news-gathering, and film production, would fully exempt from the new restrictions, officials said.

Around 9 percent of aircraft flying out of the two Manhattan heliports are not currently in compliance with the bill’s noise regulations, Farias said at a press conference Thursday.

"While no legislation can eliminate all risk, transitioning to quieter, lower-emission aircraft will help reduce the dangers posed by the noisiest, most outdated helicopters,” she told reporters.

Council Member Keith Powers, who co-sponsored the bill with Farias, called tourist helicopters noisy, carbon-intensive and dangerous.

"The tragedy in the Hudson this month follows another crash in the East River in 2018, which resulted in the death of five people. I have long called for non-essential helicopter flights, like for sightseeing tours or luxury travel, to be regulated, and with the grief of the most recent crash fresh in New Yorkers’ minds, the issue is more urgent than ever," he said.

Following the Hudson River crash, there had been renewed debated and calls to ban sightseeing helicopter tours in the city, Patch previously reported.

State senators and city council members were among those who thought the Federal Aviation Administration needed to change routes over Manhattan.

On the other hand, Mayor Eric Adams said he did not support a ban.

“We must make sure it’s safe, it’s done correctly, and all proper maintenance is in place,” he said. “We should let the investigation go its course.”

The mayor added that the flights are part of the attraction of New York City, and many business leaders use choppers.