Vote a Protest of FAA Airspace Redesign Over Rockland

Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel continued his opposition to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) proposed airspace redesign plan, which would lead to hundreds of airplanes flying over Rockland County on a daily basis, by voting against legislation authorizing funding for the agency for the next two years.

Rep. Engel said, “This flight plan was jammed down our throats, with no input from the residents it harms the most. It would put an additional 200 - 400 flights daily over Rockland County, with more and continued overhead noise. The FAA tried to do this without any kind of public hearing, acting in bad faith. There was no notification to myself or other elected officials whose districts are affected.”

Rep. Engel has protested the plan since he first heard of it and organized a public hearing in Rockland where some 1,200 residents joined him in speaking out against it. In January the U.S. Supreme Court refused to overturn a lower court ruling allowing the plan to stand.

“As long as the FAA refuses to listen to the people of Rockland, I will fight them every step of the way through the legislative process. Rockland deserves better than having to FAA implement its flawed plan,” said Rep. Engel. “I will work for a solution that doesn’t put all these planes flying over Rockland, fouling the air with their exhaust and noise.

The legislation voted on by the House came from the Senate and, since there are differences in the two bills, a conference committee will reconcile the differences. The House vote was 276-145 Thursday to approve the legislation.

The FAA Reauthorization Act provides funding for FAA operations, air traffic control modernization, environmental protections, safety improvements, and secures airline passengers rights when flying. A final version of this legislation is expected in the next three months.