New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state attorney general and anyone else to sue a pilot, flight department, line service worker, or company employee for creating an “unreasonable level” of rotorcraft noise anywhere in the state—even if the flight operation complied with federal law and regulations. The legislation also would have prohibited the use of the West 30th Street heliport for sightseeing operations.
Hochul cited the “stop the chop” bill’s questionable legality in rendering her decision, noting in her veto statement, “Recent federal case law makes clear that non-federal actors must carefully consider how state and local restrictions interact with federal laws governing aviation and must be attentive to federally mandated processes for enacting policy in this area. Certain elements of this legislation run counter to the federal scheme regulating New York’s airports and airspace. Therefore, I am constrained to veto this bill.”
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