There has been a seventeen-fold increase in calls over the past five years about the constant chop-chopping over neighborhoods, according to city data. The City Council is currently considering two bills aimed at tackling the increased aerial traffic by banning non-essential helicopter flights from city-operated helipads.
A Gothamist analysis of flight data from Memorial Day Weekend, supplied by the live flight tracker FlightRadar24, shows that more than two-thirds of the nearly 2,000 helicopter flights recorded that weekend began at commercial heliports and airports like Newark, Linden and East Hampton Town Airports. Just over a quarter of helicopter flights took off from the city-run Downtown Manhattan Heliport.
A police helicopter – which would not be affected under the two City Council bills – flew overhead during the interview. Congressional representatives from New York have also said they support banning non-essential flights from helipads in the city. Last year, U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan GoldmanA spokesperson for Nadler said the representative supports the Council's measures, because "something is better than nothing."
Blade – which began running passenger flights in 2014 – offers rides from 30th Street to JFK Airport for $145 to $250 for a one trip. The company also offers flights to the Hamptons. Wiesenthal said Blade has committed to switching to quieter and emissions-free electric eVTOL aircraft in the coming years. When asked for a timeline on when that might happen, he said New York City is likely to see “exhibition” flights between the heliport and the airport by 2026 or 2027.