Stewart International Airport, located approximately 60 miles north of New York City, was forced to temporarily close runways Friday night due to drone activity that blocked the airspace.
“I will do whatever it takes to ensure New Yorkers remain safe. New York is investigating these incidents, but the federal government needs to grant us the powers to deal with the drones directly,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
I will do whatever it takes to ensure New Yorkers remain safe.
New York is investigating these incidents, but the federal government needs to grant us the powers to deal with the drones directly. https://t.co/uo3UlwdXD0
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 14, 2024
According to NBC News, the Federal Aviation Administration said it temporarily slowed air traffic Friday night “due to multiple reported drone sightings near and over the airport.”
“A frustrated Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for federal assistance after the latest drone sighting temporarily shut down an airport Friday night, the latest in a series of mysterious occurrencestaking part across the country.
Officials at Stewart International Airport, located… pic.twitter.com/tYI6Fj1RUC
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 14, 2024
Per ABC News:
Hochul said in a statement Saturday that the incident is the latest drone sighting in the state since mid-November and expressed her frustration.
“This has gone too far,” she said.
ADVERTISEMENTHochul said she has called on the New York State Intelligence Center to probe the drone sighting incidents but called on the federal government to do more.
Specifically, she called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which would strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the activity.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential,” she said. “Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.”
BREAKING: DRONES SHUT DOWN AIRPORT, NY GOV LIVID!
New York Democrat @GovKathyHochul Demands The Biden Administration Take Action, “Last Night, The Runways At Stewart Airfield Were Shut Down For Approximately One Hour Due To Drone Activity In The Airspace. THIS HAS GONE TOO FAR.” pic.twitter.com/iVKYmftKV8— John Basham (@JohnBasham) December 14, 2024
“There were no impacts to flight operations during the closure,” the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated.
Residents and government officials have voiced concerns about drones spotted in New Jersey, New York, and other states in recent weeks.
“Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is drafting legislation to allow state and local police to SH00T DOWN drones since the DOD is refusing to act This comes after reports of medevac flights being grounded and entire airports being closed due to unauthorized drones,” journalist Nick Sortor noted.
WATCH:
NEW: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is drafting legislation to allow state and local police to SH00T DOWN drones since the DOD is refusing to act
This comes after reports of medevac flights being grounded and entire airports being closed due to unauthorized drones
This has gone on… pic.twitter.com/VXEN4kqrnR
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 15, 2024
NBC News reports:
The White House has said that it has “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.” Officials have said the drones flying over New Jersey in the past few weeks appear to be commercial-grade and not recreational.
During an interagency background call Saturday, an official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reiterated that there is no “evidence that there’s a threat to public safety.”
An FAA official said that it is not illegal to fly drones in U.S. airspace, while an official with the Federal Bureau of Investigation said there has “been a slight overreaction” to the drone sightings.
“We’re confident that many of the reported drone sightings are, in fact, manned aircraft being misidentified as drones,” the DHS official said in the call. “There is no evidence to date of any foreign based involvement in sending drones ashore from marine vessels in the area.”
WATCH:
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.
View the original article here.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!