In the wake of a deadly helicopter crash on the Hudson River this past June, campaigners have been intensifying their push. New Yorkers are calling for an end to helicopter sightseeing flights. The coalition Stop the Chop has called the crash “horrific, yet entirely predictable.” They argue that now, more than ever, it’s crucial to close the region’s heliports to non-essential traffic.
Stop the Chop, chaired by Andrew Rosenthal, has long advocated for an end to helicopter tours in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. The national non-profit organization has kept a record of dozens of non-fatal crashes with helicopters in recent years, underlining threats that exist for passengers. After this most recent crash on the morning of Thursday, March 3, this community group is really pushing. They are pressuring city officials to close the downtown Manhattan heliport in addition to two other public-use helipads on the island.
Most surprisingly, the organization argues that more than 30,000 flights have launched from the downtown Manhattan heliport all by itself. Stop the Chop describes these sightseeing flights as a “joy ride in the sky that kills people every couple of years,” comparing them to a rollercoaster that operates despite a history of fatalities.
The coalition argues that given the worsening toll, the city needs to re-evaluate its position on allowing more tourism-focused flights. They contend that if a rollercoaster had this kind of fatality rate it would be closed down on the spot.
“The mayor can close down the Manhattan downtown heliport tonight, if he wanted to, one stroke of a pen and no other legislation needed.”
Mayor Eric Adams admitted the serious safety issues caused by noise helicopter flights. He said that this incident, sadly, follows a dangerous trend.
Adams emphasized the importance of maintaining police/military/government flights but not necessarily ones for tourism purposes. Although he cannot do this on his own, he expressed openness to reconsidering the need for such flights given safety concerns, saying,
“This is not the first crash, it’s another one in a long series. It’s predictable. It’s going to happen again, it’s just a matter of numbers,” he remarked.
Even with the safety issue, Adams emphasized that tourism is still an essential aspect of New York City’s attraction. He pointed out that 65 million tourists visited the city last year, many looking for destinations with aerial perspectives.
“After any form of malfunction, crash or challenge… we should ban the helicopters or we should not have this tourism type of attraction in our city.”
As Stop the Chop states, safety should come before tourism agendas. The group argues that the city’s heliports produce more than $2.7 million per year in revenue through lease payments and other fees. They’re asking whether this financial benefit outweighs the dangers caused by helicopter sightseeing tours.
“This is all part of the attraction of being in New York. People want to see the city from the sky,” he added.
Yet, Stop the Chop argues that safety must take precedence over tourism interests. The organization contends that the city’s heliports generate approximately $2.7 million annually in lease payments, but they question whether this financial benefit justifies the risks associated with helicopter sightseeing flights.