FAA open to talks as Hackensack pushes for alternative Teterboro flight paths
The FAA said communities concerned about aircraft noise should first contact their local aviation community roundtable or airport operator, after which is can work with airport operators to determine if noise concerns can be mitigated.
The Federal Aviation Administration is open to beginning a dialogue with Hackensack officials and residents who say too many planes are crossing over the city's most densely populated residential areas and are calling for alternative flight paths.
Hackensack's City Council recently passed a resolution urging both the FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to require elgible aircaft to use the FAA-approved Runway 19 Offset Approach to distribute arrivals across the Teterboro Airport's runways more equitably.
The offset route was designed to drive arriving aircraft away from the homes, parks, and schools they are currently flying over, and instead would guide them along the commercial Route 17 corridor.
The FAA said communities concerned about aircraft noise should first contact their local aviation community roundtable or airport operator. The agency said it can then work with airport operators to determine whether noise concerns can be mitigated through changes in air traffic procedures.
City officials looked at air traffic data provided by the Teterboro Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee (TANAAC), which found that planes on a southern approach use the Runway 19 approach over residential neighborhoods 67% of the time, accounting for nearly half of all airport arrivals in 2025 and the first half of 2026.
Data shows the Runway 19 Offset Approach was used by just 80 of 39,460 eligible arrivals in 2025, representing 0.2% of all flights that year. So far in 2026, airport traffic has grown 11.5% compared with the same period last year.
"Working families in Hackensack shouldn't carry the burden of nearly half of Teterboro's incoming flights," said Mayor Caseen Gaines. "The quiet enjoyment of our neighborhoods shouldn't take a backseat to pilot convenience. The FAA already approved an offset approach to protect our residents, yet it sits almost completely unused while flight volume surges."
Aircraft noise, ground vibrations, and localized exhaust emissions are constant disruptions to daily life, residential enjoyment, and outdoor recreation in Hackensack and Bergen County, according to the city's resolution.
The city has already shared the resolution with federal, state, and county officials, Teterboro Airport leadership, neighboring municipalities, and the Teterboro Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee.
The FAA said it is committed to meaningful dialogue with communities and continuously works to reduce the number of people exposed to aviation noise around airports. The agency said addressing noise concerns requires collaboration among the FAA, air carriers, airports, aircraft manufacturers, research universities, local communities and elected officials.
