News
Five Towns Sue Heliport Operator Over Helicopter Flights
Hudson County and five of its municipalities have moved to take a heliport operator to court over the impact of tourist helicopter flights on local communities.
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy applauded the Town of Kearny’s filing of a lawsuit against heliport operator Helo Holdings Inc. in the Chancery Division of New Jersey Superior Court. The company operates in the South Kearny section of town.
The action follows a shared services agreement, entered in June, in which the county and its municipalities agreed to coordinate legal action and share the costs of fighting the flights. The county has asked the court to be included as an interested party, which would let it file briefs in support of Kearny’s suit. Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, and Union City are expected to make similar applications.
“For years, Hudson County has been inundated with the relentless whirring of helicopters flying low over our communities, creating excessive noise and safety concerns for our residents,” Guy said. “We will fight to ensure that the heliport operator is held accountable for its actions.”
Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle said her town was glad to take the lead. “Kearny residents, and all those living across Hudson County, deserve a high quality of life, and this lawsuit will ensure the lives of our residents will not be harassed by constant helicopter flights,” she said.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon said the operator had run thousands of flights outside its agreed hours and pointed to safety concerns following a crash last year that killed a family of five. “A regional problem demands a regional response, and no single town should have to take on these operators alone,” he said.
Rep. Rob Menendez, who has pushed federal legislation targeting nonessential helicopter flights, also backed the suit. “We won’t stop until our communities get the peace and safety they deserve,” he said.
