Tourist Helicopters in NYC Face Reckoning After Fatal Crash
Also today: A leader for Black architects imagines a future after Trump, and a guide to navigating the solar market amid tariffs.
A trio of helicopters at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on April 14, 2025 in New York City.
Photographer: Eduardo Muñoz Alvarez/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images
New York is one of the world’s most helicoptered cities, and chopper flights aren’t just limited to running essential services like airlifting patients or transporting police. Many of the daily aerial operations involve ferrying wealthy commuters and sightseers around the city.
In the wake of the fatal helicopter crash that plunged a family of five Spanish tourists and the pilot into the Hudson River on April 10, New York’s city council voted to limit these “non-essential” flights. Safety isn’t the only concern; residents also lament the immense noise and pollution generated by the aircrafts. Today on CityLab, contributor and amateur pilot Thomas J. Campanella asks: What should New York City do about tourist helicopters? And can technology offer a quieter alternative?