Regarding “Airplane noise continues to wreak havoc on North Jersey residents. Can Bergen fight back?,” NorthJersey.com, Aug. 19:
Your recent piece overlooks the significant contributions that Teterboro Airport and the aircraft that utilize it provide to our community and local economy. General aviation, including business aviation, supports $247 billion in economic impact across the country and more than a million American jobs. In New Jersey alone, general aviation airports support more than $2.3 billion in economic activity, with Teterboro Airport accounting for nearly half of that impact. Additionally, the airport is essential for critical medical transport flights and the medical centers in the region.
Moreover, business aviation offers critical advantages to companies, including direct point-to-point transportation, flexible scheduling accommodating multiple stops within a single day and carrying necessary tools and demonstration materials. These capabilities help businesses large and small operate more efficiently. In fact, 57% percent of business aviation serves small companies with 500 or fewer employees, and studies show that these companies that utilize small aircraft outperform peer companies that do not. Noise concerns are valid and deserve attention. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration and the local aviation community have collaborated to develop and implement new flight procedures at the airport that make use of less populated areas to reduce noise impacts, encourage “quiet flying” techniques, prefer noise abatement runways and observe quiet hours between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Most jets at Teterboro now meet or exceed the stringent Stage 5 noise standards, reflecting the industry’s commitment to reducing noise. But it is also important to balance these concerns with the substantial economic benefits that Teterboro Airport brings to our region. Rather than focusing solely on the negatives, we should work together to find solutions that address noise issues while preserving the economic vitality that this critical infrastructure provides.
Michael Egenton is Executive Vice President of Government Relations for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/2024/09/04/teterboro-airport-economic-impact/75057569007