New York County, NY Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Fixed wing aircraft noise from LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark overflight of Manhattan is governed exclusively by the Federal Aviation Administration under 49 USC 41713, which preempts local municipalities from regulating flight paths, altitudes, or noise at source. New York County cannot set decibel limits on aircraft. However, helicopter noise over Manhattan has become one of the most documented urban noise issues in the country. The Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 handles tourist, charter, and commuter flights, while the East 34th Street Heliport handles commuter and medical traffic. Under a 2016 agreement between the city and tour operators, Sunday tourist flights and flights over Central Park and most of Manhattan residential neighborhoods were curtailed. Advocacy groups Stop the Chop and Melissa Elstein have pushed city and state legislation, including the proposed New York City Helicopter Noise Relief Act. Complaints go to 311 for helicopter noise logging, the FAA Noise Portal for federal tracking, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation which manages the Pier 6 heliport. Local ordinances on helicopter operations at city owned heliports are permitted and enforced by EDC.