Residents across Hudson County are living with the daily impact of helicopters operating out of the HHI heliport in Kearny, NJ. These flights regularly pass over Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Bayonne, and other neighboring communities—at very low altitudes and early or late hours—creating constant noise, safety concerns, and major disruptions to quality of life.

When the heliport was approved in 2014, the operator testified that there would be no sightseeing tours and that operations would be limited to specific hours. But those sworn commitments were not honored. Sightseeing flights make up more than 70% of helicopter traffic at HHI, commuter flights operate into the late hours of the night and wake our children up early in the morning, and helicopter traffic has grown significantly over the years, sometimes with 100+ low flyovers over a single neighborhood. Data shows tens of thousands of flights annually, most of them non-essential sightseeing or commuter operations. Our initial gathering of data that showcases the problem can be found here.

In response, Mayor Doyle of Kearny with the help of Hudson County Executive Guy issued a zoning violation against the heliport operator. But now the case risks being dismissed because Kearny may not want to bear the cost of litigation alone.

New Jersey law allows municipalities and counties to share legal costs through a shared services agreement. That means Hudson County, and all its municipalities, can legally help Kearny pursue enforcement if it comes to this.

This Case Could Set a National Precedent:

Communities across the United States are struggling with similar helicopter noise and safety issues. Numerous appeals have been made by the community to the FAA that have been blatantly disregarded, showcasing the need for local municipalities and the state to step in. Example here.

Enforcing zoning conditions at the Kearny heliport could become a national example of how local governments can protect residents from an unchecked aviation industry. 

But if this case is dismissed, it sends the opposite message—that communities have little recourse even when operators violate the conditions under which they were approved. 

We ask Kearny Local Officials and Hudson County Local and County Leaders to:

• Stand with affected Hudson County residents seeking relief from constant helicopter traffic - enforce the law!

• Help fund legal representation for the zoning enforcement case if the case goes into jeopardy

This is not Kearny versus other towns.

This is Hudson County residents standing together to protect our communities from unchecked and unneighborly aviation interests and ensure that zoning laws and sworn testimony actually matter.

We urge all municipal leaders to act now:

Enforce the law.

Defend our communities.

Support Kearny.