Edison, NJ Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Because aircraft operations are exclusively regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, no New Jersey municipality - including Edison Township - has authority to restrict overflight altitudes, departure tracks, runway use, or aircraft type. The Supreme Court confirmed this preemption in City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal (1973), and 49 U.S.C. §40103 reserves the sovereignty of U.S. airspace to the federal government. Edison sits roughly 6-12 miles south-southwest of EWR and directly under a number of EWR arrival routes (particularly RNAV approaches to Runway 22L/R) and departures, plus traffic to and from Linden Airport (LDJ), a Port Authority general-aviation field. The Port Authority's Noise Management Office operates a 24-hour complaint line (973-961-6026) and an online complaint portal at aircraftnoise.panynj.gov; complaints are logged and used to inform Part 150 noise studies and runway-rotation programs, but they cannot result in a citation. For non-Port Authority aircraft (private GA traffic, helicopters) residents should file through the FAA Noise Portal at faa.gov/noise/inquiries. Edison's local noise ordinance §12-27 expressly cannot be applied to in-flight aircraft, though it can be applied to ground-based aircraft-engine run-ups at Linden Airport.