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 White Plains, NY - Congresswoman Nita Lowey (NY-18), Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-17), and Congressman John Hall (NY-19) announced that the FAA Authorization Act of 2009, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, includes an amendment requiring the Federal Aviation Administration to undertake a rulemaking process to determine whether Westchester County may reinstate its overnight flight curfew.
“Those who live around Westchester County Airport understand that business and traffic have increased and the airport has become an important gateway to and from the New York metropolitan area,” said Lowey. “It is critical for those who are most affected by air noise and the airport’s environmental impact to have the opportunity to demonstrate why an overnight flight curfew is important.”
“Westchester County Airport is an important part to the economic health of the region, however the people of Westchester deserve the peace and quiet which led them to move to the county in the first place. They have a right to a quality of life which is not adversely affected by the airport. I believe the mandatory overnight flight curfew is a logical way to maintain that standard of living. It is certainly not asking too much for airplanes to take off and land at reasonable times,” said Engel.
“Residents living around Westchester County Airport have been plagued with increased overnight air noise and an impact on their environment,” said Hall. “These residents deserve the chance to make their case to the FAA why an overnight flight curfew is important to them.”
The FAA Authorization Act of 2009 was passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits action by the U.S. Senate. The Lowey/Engel/Hall Amendment, adopted unanimously, requires FAA to engage in a rulemaking process regarding Westchester County’s efforts to reinstate its overnight flight curfew. This affords Westchester County the opportunity to demonstrate the need for the curfew to reduce environmental impact, including air noise.
Westchester County Airport has had voluntary restrictions between midnight and 6:30am since the early 1980s. However, business at the airport has expanded tremendously, with more flights disregarding the curfew, which disrupts communities throughout the overnight hours and makes the County’s environmental upkeep in the area more demanding.
This amendment directs FAA to evaluate Westchester County’s request to reinstate its overnight curfew, potentially easing congestion in the heavily-trafficked New York airspace and providing the residents in both New York and Connecticut with needed relief from overnight operations.
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