Teterboro Airport plots expansion as neighboring cities urge flight path changes
The city councils of Hackensack and Paramus have passed resolutions urging the FAA and Port Authority to force the use of the alternate route.
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As Teterboro Airport passes another hurdle for expansion, residents in neighboring towns say pilots and the FAA aren’t doing enough to reduce flight noise over their homes.
Neighbors fear it could get worse with the planned expansion of Teterboro airport.
“Private jets the size of a small house landing there, and with the expansion, who knows what else is to come?" asked Victoria Tahhan, of Hackensack.
“We just learned to get used to it," said Aysyah Allen, of Hackensack. "There's nothing we can do about it.”
A new flight path opened over Route 17 in 2021, but its use is optional. It is a more out-of-the-way route, and the city of Hackensack says less than 1% of traveling planes use it.
That means more flying over people’s homes.
“I used to live on a high-rise on Prospect Avenue, and I would turn on Christmas lights all year long at night," said Tahhan. "You have to stop having a conversation because the planes are so loud.”
The long-debated expansion of Teterboro Airport is progressing. Late September, the FAA issued a finding of no significant environmental impact - effectively giving a green light. The expansion would include new hangars, flight lines and parking in the Hackensack Meadowlands District.
The city councils of Hackensack and Paramus have passed resolutions urging the FAA and Port Authority to force the use of the alternate route.
The FAA says communities can contact their local aviation community roundtable or airport operator with concerns. Then, the agency can work with the airport to determine if air traffic changes are needed.
