Res. No. 1563
Resolution calling on the Mayor of the City of New York to sever or alter the concession agreement regarding the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in order to ban commercial tourism flights from the New York City area.
By Council Members Brewer, Levin, Chin, James and Rodriguez
Whereas, There have been 28 helicopter crashes around Manhattan in the last 30 years and 5 in the last 4 years; and
Whereas, The 1997 city ban on tourist helicopters from the 34th Street helipad cut helicopter traffic in that area by 65 percent; and
Whereas, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it would tighten rules governing commercial sightseeing tours after a helicopter and light plane collided over the Hudson in 2009, killing 9 people; and
Whereas, Helicopter noise and traffic has substantially increased in the lower Manhattan and Brooklyn areas over the past two years due to the closure of the West 30th Street helipad to sightseeing helicopters, as these have all relocated to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) near South Street Seaport; and
Whereas, DMH now has approximately 200 takeoffs and landings per day, 70 percent of which are sightseeing flights; and
Whereas, In 2010, the City banned tourist helicopter flights over Brooklyn and the East River due to the noise complaints, but many tourism companies have been blatantly ignoring the ban; and
Whereas, In April 2010, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) released a Helicopter Sightseeing Plan to address the problems presented by tourist helicopter flights; and
Whereas, The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama on February 14, 2012, and it includes language regarding the reduction of helicopter traffic and noise over residential areas such as Long Island; and
Whereas, Commercial air tour companies are limited only to the DMH near Wall Street and are only authorized to fly specific routes; and
Whereas, EDC granted a concession to operate the DMH to FirstFlight, Inc. in November 2008 for a term of 10 years for commercial purposes, including tourism; and
Whereas, The terms of the concession to FirstFlight are severable and therefore the City can renegotiate the concession to change the terms; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the Mayor of the City of New York to sever or alter the concession agreement regarding the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in order to ban commercial tourism flights from the New York City area.
LS 2464 & 2932
BB/MWC
8/10/12