TRENTON – Two leading Senate Democrats said they liked what they heard today from Anthony Coscia, Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, about reducing flight capacity at Teterboro Airport.
“This is the first time we’ve had the Port Authority working with us as a partner to get the federal government to reduce the number of flights at Teterboro,” said Senator Paul A. Sarlo, Chairman of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee.
“I am glad the Port Authority agrees with us that the fewer flights over our heads and houses, the safer we all are in Bergen County and all areas under the flight paths of planes using Teterboro,” said Senator Joseph Coniglio, Chairman of the Senate State Government Committee.
Coscia told the Oversight Committee that the Port Authority would ban the noisiest – Stage Two – aircraft at Teterboro by Sept. 1, curtail nighttime flights, reduce the maximum weight limit for planes using Teterboro from 100,000 pounds to 80,000 pounds, and increase landing fees.
“The Chairman’s actions will help the residents and businessess and we look to reduce total flight capacity at Teterboro by 25 percent in the not-too-distant future,” said Senator Sarlo.
A one-fourth cut in the more than 200,000 incoming and outgoing flights at Teterboro would reduce flight capacity by more than 50,000 flights annually, Senator Sarlo said.
Senator Coniglio also said he supported Coscia’s pledge that if an additional airport is added to the metropolitan area, it should only be located in an area that “poses limited contact with surrounding communities.”
“The people of Paramus will tell you they seldom have a truly quiet moment with an unobstructed view of the sky because of all the plane traffic overhead,” Senator Coniglio said. “If another facility will relieve the plane traffic over places like Paramus, I’m for it because something has to be done to ease the overhead congestion.”
Senator Sarlo called the hearing today to collect testimony on ways the Port Authority could assist in State efforts to reduce air traffic into and out of Teterboro.
The development in the multi-county area around Teterboro has grown dramatically since the facility had its first flight in 1919. Coscia said any decisions by the Port Authority about an additional airport to meet the regional demand for air traffic would be preceded by a comprehensive study by professionals. In addition to Teterboro, the Port Authority owns and operates Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
Senator Sarlo said he was pleased to hear that Coscia favored a reduction in capacity at Teterboro and not a shutdown at the facility.