Suozzi Holds Press Conference to Announce Steps Taken on Addressing Recent Increase in Aircraft Traffic Noise over Nassau and Western Suffolk Counties

Today, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D – Long Island, Queens) held a press conference to announce several regulatory updates which will address the recent marked increase in air traffic and noise in skies over Nassau and Western Suffolk Counties.

Since April 1, residents of Nassau and Western Suffolk Counties have been enduring a significant increase in aircraft traffic and noise. This increase is due to the redirection of flight paths while one of JFK’s four runways goes through a planned overhaul.

Steps announced by Suozzi today that will help mitigate some of the aircraft traffic include:

1. When aircraft are operating west of Deer Park, Suffolk County, air traffic controllers will instruct pilots to maintain an altitude at or above 4,000 feet as long as it is practicable.

2. When the parallel runway is not being used for landing (22R), aircraft will be advised to maintain an altitude of 3,000 feet on their final approach until they are within 15 miles of JFK.

3. The air traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport will rotate usage of operational runways when the weather and workload permit;

4. Items one through three will officially go into effect on June 24, 2019, and will now be part of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) during all hours.

At the press conference, Suozzi was joined by the mayors from some of the villages in his district that have been particularly impacted by this issue; Mayor Bernie Ryba of Old Brookville; Mayor Daniel Serota of Brookville, Mayor Marvin Natis of North Hills; Mayor Paul Peters of Roslyn Estates; and Deputy Mayor Ed Madden of Upper Brookville. Additionally, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R –PA 01), whose suburban Philadelphia district is similarly affected by aircraft traffic and noise, was in attendance. Fitzpatrick sits on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is a member of the Subcommittee on Aviation.

In May, Suozzi, along with Rep. Kathleen Rice and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran held a meeting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NATCA, and TRACON to seek solutions that would alleviate this marked increase in aircraft noise.

“Airplane noise is crushing some of our neighborhoods, and some of these folks don’t live anywhere near the airports. Residents are rightfully concerned about the noise, especially as we head into normally busier summer months. The updates we announced today will expedite a solution that will ensure both a safe and quieter summer for our local communities,” said Suozzi. “I would like to thank Rep. Kathleen Rice, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and the local representatives from NATCA for their help on this issue.”

"Thanks to Congressman Suozzi's efforts, increasing the flight altitude from about 2000' to 3000' over the Village of Old Brookville will result in a noticeable reduction of aircraft noise over our community,” said Bernie Ryba, Mayor of Old Brookville.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is on Long Island for the day as part of a Congressional District Swap which allows members to learn more about the different issues faced by communities around the country. In May, Suozzi visited Fitzpatrick’s district where he met with local officials, small business owners, union leadership to learn more about issues important to Fitzpatrick’s constituents. Together, Suozzi and Fitzpatrick will meet with the Nassau County’s Opioid Task Force and tour Suozzi’s 3rd Congressional District.