Helicopter Flight Services (HFS), who fly Bell 407s and Airbus H130s, is reportedly buying waterfront proprerty on the east bank of the Hudson River in the Yonkers suburb of New York. They are looking at creating a floating heliport in an industrial zone between the Domino Sugar refinery and a sewage treatment plant. HFS met with neighbours Monday to outline their plans.

The operator expects to fly three to five flights an hour between 9am and 9pm. The majority of the passengers would obviously be NYC tourists, arriving at the heliport by bus or rail and then be picked up by a company van at the Ludlow Street Station. A possible future alternative is a ferry boat pier.

Earlier this year, a deal was reached beween New York City and helicopter tour operators whereby the number of flights at the downtown Manhattan heliport at Pier 6 will be halved by the end of 2016, including no flights on Sundays, and was prompted by noise complaints from residents near Battery Park City and the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The proposed location has likely been picked as heliports are still permitted there, subject to a special use permit from the City Council, although there is already talk of a new ordinance that would ban heliports in Yonkers.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com