Bill O'Dea Demands FAA Action to Ground Tourist Helicopters and Shut Down the Kearny Heliport After Latest Hudson River Tragedy

JERSEY CITY, N.J.— Following yet another fatal helicopter crash on the Hudson River, Commissioner and candidate for Jersey City Mayor Bill O'Dea is calling for immediate federal action to end non-essential tourist helicopter flights and shut down the nearby Kearny Heliport where many of these flights that continue to endanger Jersey City neighborhoods originate.

“As with past helicopter tragedies directly affecting Jersey City, there is a need for immediate action while the expected analysis takes hold,” said O’Dea. “Large portions of our city face daily transitory helicopters flying low over homes, emanating from the Kearny Heliport. It’s disruptive and annoying—but more importantly, it’s dangerous. But for a short distance, that crash could have occurred in someone’s backyard. There is no margin for safety. There is no balance between the financial interests of a heliport and the lives of our residents. The FAA must ban helicopter joyrides and immediately shut down the Kearny Heliport. There are alternate launch points for sightseeing helicopters that don’t put neighborhoods at risk. The elimination of routes over our city is an immediate, actionable solution— and we’re demanding it now.” 

“These flights do nothing but jeopardize the safety and peace of our neighborhoods,” said Ward C Candidate for Team O’Dea Tom Zuppa. “We need to put the lives of our residents above the leisure of out-of-town tourists. This is about protecting families not fueling a novelty industry that’s long overstayed its welcome.”

Team O’Dea’s candidate for Ward D Elvin Dominici Encarnación added, “We’ve normalized something that should never have been acceptable. These crashes are no longer shocking— they’re expected. That’s outrageous. We need real leadership that puts public safety first, and we proudly stand with every official who’s saying: enough is enough.”

O'Dea and Team O'Dea are calling on the FAA and elected officials at every level to prioritize the safety of residents over the convenience and profits of helicopter tour operators.

“Let this be the last time we gather in mourning,” O’Dea said. “The helicopters must go—and the time to act is now. We must put the safety of our residents above conveniences for the wealthy. That starts with a simple solution which is to get rid of tourist routes over New Jersey's residential areas and the elimination of the Kearny Heliport.”