The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is resisting recent initiatives by the New York City Council aimed at restricting helicopter operations in the city.

The actions taken by the council may significantly decrease the use of helicopters.

Brittany Davies, NBAA's northeast regional director, recently testified before a New York City council hearing, expressing concerns about the council's efforts to limit "non-essential" helicopter usage in the city. The council's proposed measures include establishing a noise tax on such operations, urging the FAA to ban certain charter and tourist flights, and restricting operations at city heliports to electric-powered rotorcraft.

Davies argued that these restrictions would harm both the transportation system and the economic infrastructure of New York City. She emphasized the city's role as an international hub for commerce and intermodal transportation, highlighting the significant contribution of helicopter operations to the economy, including the creation of 43,200 jobs and $8.6 billion in total economic output.

Additionally, Davies mentioned NBAA's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in response to concerns about the environmental impact of business aviation.

Source: AIN‍