New York City airspace is one of several highly complex and congested airspace regions in the United States. To ensure that operations are as safe and efficient as possible requires the expertise of regulatory and technical safety experts as well as industry professionals. Helicopter Association International (HAI) strongly opposes today’s announced “Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019” over the concern that measures within the act will have no positive effect on aviation safety over New York City, but will threaten the viability of the helicopter industry.
The perceived threat of commuter, charter and tourism helicopter flights that forms the rationale behind the Proposal relies on data that Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velazquez of New York had to reach back nearly four decades to gather. The crashes and resulting fatalities cited in the Proposal, are disingenuously positioned. The crashes and resulting fatalities cited in the Proposal are disingenuously positioned. Statistically, citizens on the ground are in far greater danger of being hit by a bicycle or motor vehicle. In 2018 alone, the New York City Department of Transportation reported 60,652 injuries and 203 fatalities involving motor vehicles. HAI’s top priority is and always has been safety, and along with our operators, we continue to work towards a zero-accident goal.
Furthermore, the claim that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “does not have any regulations, policies or procedures to account for New York City’s uniquely crowded airspace” is false. Updated every 56 days, or as needed, the FAA publishes Helicopter Route Charts for several “uniquely crowded” airspaces -including Baltimore-Washington, Los Angeles and New York City- to further enhance operational safety. These charts consider the unique aspects of each operating area and provide guidance on standard routes, specific altitude limitations when appropriate, standard frequencies and mandatory reporting points. The latest Helicopter Route Chart for New York City was updated on April 25.
