Citing safety risks and noise concerns for residents in Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reduce tourist and charter helicopter flights departing from the HHI Heliport in Kearny.

In a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, Murphy pointed to two fatal crashes involving helicopters from the Kearny facility — one in March 2018 that killed five passengers after crashing into New York’s East River, and another in April 2025 when a tourist helicopter broke apart midair and crashed into the Hudson River, killing all six on board.

“Future crashes over land could result in even more devastating consequences,” Murphy warned, urging the FAA not to wait for another tragedy before acting.

The governor proposed three measures: prohibiting or significantly reducing nonessential flights, rerouting helicopters over water instead of residential neighborhoods, and limiting operating hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. He cited a 2023 FAA action in Hawai‘i that capped tourist flights over Volcanoes National Park as a model for New Jersey.

Murphy stressed that the issue is not only about reducing noise but also about protecting lives. “Residents deserve peace and quiet in the mornings and evenings,” he wrote, calling for a voluntary noise abatement program in partnership with the heliport.

The FAA has not yet publicly responded to Murphy’s request.