Menendez Urges FAA to Halt Non-Essential Helicopter Traffic Following Concerning Safety Incidents in Newark

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter sent today, Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) asked the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) to halt all non-essential helicopter traffic in and around Newark Liberty International Airport (“EWR”) following reports of dangerous staffing levels, airspace congestion, equipment failures, and runway closures. 

The letter, sent to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, follows reports that air traffic controllers at EWR lost radar and communications with planes in the sky and on the ground for up to 90 seconds last week, leading to a ground stop and cascading delays and cancellations. In addition to the technology failures, a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers and the closure of runway 22R/4L at EWR have raised further concerns about air safety and congestion in the New York Metropolitan Area. 

“It is essential that the FAA immediately halt all non-essential helicopter flights to ensure public safety,” said Congressman Rob Menendez. “The faults of our aviation system have been on full display in recent weeks, and it will take a coordinated effort from everyone involved to address these concerns in a timely manner. Non-essential helicopters further exacerbate these challenges while providing no benefit to the public. It is vital that they be immediately grounded to reduce congestion and allow more capacity while the FAA and air traffic controllers address equipment and staffing needs.” 

In addition to last week’s outage, the Eastern Regional Helicopter Council recently sent a letter to the Hoboken City Council to warn of operations changes at EWR and increased demand on airspace that is shared with helicopter routes. The letter outlines that due to airspace reconfiguration, air traffic controllers need to hold helicopters longer than usual, which can result in more frequent or prolonged helicopter presence over certain areas. 

Persistent noise and disruptions from helicopters have been an ongoing challenge for residents of Hudson County, and Congressman Menendez has worked throughout his time in Congress to address these challenges. He previously introduced two pieces of legislation focused on curbing helicopter noise and convened an FAA workshop in Jersey City last year to discuss solutions. This week, in the wake of the fatal crash on the Hudson River in April, Menendez introduced legislation permanently banning non-essential helicopter traffic within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty. 

In addition to today’s letter, Menendez also joined requests led by Reps. Nellie Pou (NJ-09) and LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) to the FAA to address safety and congestion concerns at EWR. 

For full text of Menendez’s letter, click here.