Kings County, NY Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Kings County lies beneath busy aircraft corridors, especially for JFK International Airport approaches over Canarsie, Mill Basin, and the Rockaway-facing coast, and for LaGuardia departures over northern Brooklyn. Federal law (49 USC §40103 and §41713) preempts local regulation of aircraft in flight, so NYC cannot enforce its Noise Code against planes or helicopters overhead. Helicopter tourist flights from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport frequently pass over the Brooklyn waterfront and Prospect Park, generating thousands of complaints annually. Residents report aircraft noise to the Port Authority Aircraft Noise Complaint Line, to the FAA Noise Portal, and to local representatives pushing for route changes. The 2016 NextGen flight path overhaul concentrated noise over neighborhoods like Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, and Red Hook, prompting sustained community response. NYC's own 'Stop the Chop' legislation (Local Law 83/2022) banned most non-essential helicopter flights from city-owned heliports, reducing but not eliminating tourist traffic. Ground-based aircraft noise at the former Floyd Bennett Field is minimal.