Senator Avella Calls for an Aviation Community Roundtable After Report Proves Significant Impact on Community

Queens, NY – Today, State Senator Tony Avella stood with members of Queens Quiet Skies to present findings from Freedom of Information requests to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding LaGuardia Airport runway and flight pattern usage data.

The sobering analysis shows what the community has suspected for years, air traffic departing from LaGuardia has had a direct, undeniable effect on the neighborhoods of northeast Queens and Jackson Heights.

“LaGuardia is on pace to reach nearly 100,000 departures over northeast Queens in 2016, even without a capacity increase or change in prevailing seasonal wind direction” said Brian Will, Vice President of Queens Quiet Skies, a community group that monitors aircraft noise pollution in Queens and beyond. 

“Four years ago, almost to the day, I rallied with community members to call for action by the FAA and Port Authority to reduce the huge increases in noise from airplanes. Out of these protests grew the call for a Community Aviation Roundtable. These findings show what we have known to be true, airplane noise in northeast Queens has increased at least two fold. This is why the Port Authority must appoint a facilitator to finally get the roundtable in place so we can speak with one voice when we tell the FAA and Port Authority that enough is enough. ” commented Senator Avella.