Teterboro Airport, one of the busiest in the country for private jets, and at six miles away the closest one to MetLife Stadium, will not be able to handle all of the Gulfstreams, Falcons and Bombardiers expected to fly into the area for Super Sunday.
That’s why federal authorities have declared that for a six-day period, from 6 a.m. on the Wednesday before the game until 6 a.m. on the Tuesday after, the only aircraft that will be cleared for landings and takeoffs will be those that made reservations well in advance. Normally, reservations are not required at Teterboro.
Pilots who fail to comply with the temporary Previous Permission Required rule will be diverted to other airports, said Kirk Stephan, marketing manager at Meridian, one of several aircraft service station operators at Teterboro that are taking Super Bowl week reservations. “If you don’t have a PPR, you won’t be able to fly in or out of Teterboro,” Stephan said.
Crowded skies
Teterboro Airport is one of the busiest in the nation for business jet traffic.
Flight totals (takeoffs and arrivals)
2010 149,530
2011 152,247
2012 145,690
2013* 113,313
*Jan.1-Sept. 30
Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
As a security precaution, the airspace over East Rutherford will be a no-fly zone from about 2 p.m. until just before midnight on game day, Feb. 2, a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Morristown Municipal Airport, less than 30 miles from the stadium, also is expecting a surge in traffic and is imposing similar reservation requirements and other restrictions.
Judging by the experience of other Super Bowl host cities, the New York City region may see more than 1,000 private jets flying into the area, which is already known for its congested airspace.
About 1,100 private jets descended on Indianapolis in 2012 for Super Bowl XLVI, in which the Giants beat the New England Patriots, 21-17.
For last season’s game in New Orleans — where the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31 — more than 1,000 private jets were estimated to have flown in and out, including about 600 at New Orleans Lakefront Airport.
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year for private jet travelers, along with the Kentucky Derby. So temporary restrictions like those recently announced at Teterboro and Morristown have become par for the course for aircraft operations in and around Super Bowl host cities.
Reservations for inbound flights to pick up passengers after the game will be limited to one per hour, per operator until 6 a.m. Monday. Meridian, Jet Aviation and other operators at Teterboro will have to provide ramp departure coordinators after the game. Pilots will have to get departure instructions from them in addition to the usual FAA clearance before taking off, so some travelers who may not be used to waiting around at airports may have to wait around, according to the Teterboro operations plan.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns Teterboro Airport, has said it plans to impose an additional $250 landing fee from 6 a.m. on Jan. 29 until 6 a.m. Feb. 4 to offset an anticipated increase in costs because of the Super Bowl.
The FAA, which has been working for months with the Super Bowl Transportation Committee and with local, state and federal agencies to get airport operation plans in place, is expected to prescribe special routes for aircraft moving in and out of the New York area the week of the game.
“We will identify resources to ensure that the expected increase in air traffic can be accommodated safely and efficiently,” FAA spokesman Jim Peters said in an emailed statement.
On the other hand, according to Teterboro’s Super Bowl operations plan, noise mitigation restrictions that limit late-night flights will be lifted on game night, as fans clamor to get out of town.
Morristown Airport is requiring reservations for arrivals from the Tuesday before the game through noon on the Monday after and is charging a non-refundable $300 reservation fee. Those reservations are in addition to a requirement to make reservations with an airport base operator. The airport is limiting the number of arrival reservations per aircraft to five.
The number of reservations accepted at Morristown Airport could be increased in the days leading up to the game if there is no snow or other bad weather in the forecast.