Following the helicopter accident in the East River on Tuesday, Oct. 4, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Congressman Jerrold Nadler are calling for a complete ban on all tourist helicopters entering Manhattan’s air corridor, including above the city’s rivers and harbors.
The politicians are also demanding an overhaul of the city’s helicopter policy, whose current version they deem is flawed.
“Last week’s tragedy is another clear sign: tourist helicopters in Manhattan don’t make sense for passengers, pilots, or local residents,” said Squadron in a written statement. “My colleagues and I have long called for better regulation of helicopters in New York. Simply put, tourist flights in and out of Manhattan, official or not, pose too great a risk.”
“Sightseeing and nonessential helicopters are dangerous, unnecessary and not worth it,” echoed Nadler. “We have been calling for more oversight of our air corridors for years, with only modest improvements to assuage our fears.”
The Congressman continued, “Let us once and for all ban these helicopters from Manhattan’s and Brooklyn’s dangerous air corridors. It shouldn’t take more senseless tragedy to come to this obvious conclusion.”
