Fact Sheet
For Immediate Release
December 20, 2005
Contact: Arlene Murrary
Phone: 609-485-6253
New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Airspace Redesign - Concepts for Alternatives - FACT SHEET
Proposed Action
In an effort to enhance safety and improve the efficiency of the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia metropolitan area airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to redesign this airspace by modifying aircraft routes and air traffic control procedures. The redesign was conceived as a system for more efficiently directing Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) aircraft to and from major airports in the redesign project. The major airports are: John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York, Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania. In addition to these airports, there are 16 satellite airports in the redesign project.
Project Purpose and Need
The purpose of the Airspace Redesign Project is to increase the efficiency and reliability of the airspace structure and the air traffic control system. The project is needed to accommodate growth while maintaining safety and mitigating delays and to accommodate changes in the types of aircraft using the National Airspace System.
Study Area
The proposed Airspace Redesign study area includes the entire state of New Jersey and portions of four other states, including Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania. The study area covers approximately 31,000 square miles with a population of 29 million people residing in 64 counties in the five-state area. Based on FAA orders, the altitude ceiling for environmental considerations with regard to airspace studies is 10,000 feet above ground level (AGL). The highest point in the study area is 4,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) at Hunter Mountain in New York. That makes the overall altitude ceiling of the study area 14,000 feet MSL. The analysis of the alternatives and their potential impacts in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is based on aircraft flying under instrument flight rules at altitudes up to 14,000 feet.
FAA Facilities in the Study Area
The major air traffic control facilities in the study area:
- New York Air Route Traffic Control Center, Ronkonkoma, New York
- Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center, Nashua, New Hampshire
- Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center, Leesburg, Virginia
- New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), Westbury, New York
- Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The five major airports (followed by their three letter airport designator) in the study area:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Teterboro Airport (TEB)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
The 16 satellite airports (with airport designator) in the study area:
- Allentown/Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)
- Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
- Bridgeport/Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR)
- Caldwell/Essex County Airport (CDW)
- Westhampton Beach/The Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK)
- Islip Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
- Linden Airport (LDJ)
- Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU)
- Newburgh/Stewart International Airport (SWF)
- New Haven/Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN)
- Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE)
- Republic Airport (FRG)
- Trenton/Mercer County Airport (TTN)
- While Plains/Westchester County Airport (HPN)
- Wilmington/New Castle County Airport (ILG)
- McGuire Air Force Base (WRI)
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available on the following website:
