PASCACK VALLEY AREA—A new flight pattern for Teterboro Airport is expected to take fewer planes over homes in the Pascack Valley and other Bergen County towns –– so long as pilots follow it.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it completed training for the alternative path on July 1.
For years, residents and local officials across the county have complained about the noise, frequency, and proximity of business jet arrivals to Runway 19 at Teterboro Airport.
“It’s definitely increased and affected the quality of life for so many of my neighbors [who are] exactly under the flight path,” said Woodcliff Lake councilwoman Jacqueline Gadaleta, who advocated for a change to the pattern.
Unresolved complaints led to the formation of the Teterboro Airport Noise Abatement Advisory Committee in 1987, according to its website. TANAAC held quarterly meetings with residents before the pandemic and negotiated with the FAA to change the flight paths.
While Woodcliff Lake is outside of the required radius to officially participate in TANAAC, the borough became more involved over time. Mayor Carlos Rendo appointed Gadaleta and resident Warren Feldman to attend TANAAC meetings and speak on behalf of the borough.
“Woodcliff Lake is affected by the speed and noise of business jet arrivals, especially during busy days when certain areas of Woodcliff Lake have jets descending at rapid speed over homes every two minutes or so,” reads a June 29 letter from Rendo, Gadaleta, and Feldman praising TANAAC for their work.
Gadaleta told Pascack Press last week that planes overhead are “definitely” noticeable on the weekends, when more residents are likely to be home and spending time outside. While the routes are not always exactly the same, she said pilots sometimes use the Woodcliff Lake reservoir as a “point to veer off” towards Teterboro.
The diversion of air traffic was delayed due to the pandemic, but the FAA said it has finished training air traffic controllers on the alternative pattern, which is GPS based and roughly follows Route 17.
The path was unveiled in December 2020 and had a welcome official implementation date of July 1.
“It’s not that they are required to take Route 17,” Gadaleta noted. “It is being suggested.”
She said that stakeholders need to continue to make sure pilots adhere to the new flight pattern “while keeping safety as the first and foremost priority.”
According to data from FlightRadar24, planes from Teterboro cross over every town in the Pascack Valley. Neighboring mayors have participated in discussions about the flight pattern, and Gadaleta said they are collaborating on a joint letter to Teterboro encouraging officials to follow through.
For a lasting reduction in noise, Gadaleta said residents will also need to speak up. “It has gotten us this far, and we can cross the finish line if people continue to speak their minds in a respectful manner.”