Passengers exit an Uber helicopter at the downtown Manhattan heliport on Oct....

Passengers exit an Uber helicopter at the downtown Manhattan heliport on Oct. 2, 2019. Credit: AP/Richard Drew

The New York City Council voted Thursday to ban nonessential flights by helicopters that fail to meet the strictest federal noise standards — a law that would go into effect at the end of 2029 and cover Manhattan's key heliports.

By a vote of 46 to 1, with one abstention, the legislation also calls on the state and federal governments to ban certain helicopter flights that aren’t considered essential, including tourist and nonessential chartered ones. Flights for public safety, news coverage and law enforcement would not be covered by the legislation.

Majority Leader Amanda Farías said in a statement: "For far too long, nonessential helicopter flights have disrupted daily life and endangered the well-being of New Yorkers. This bill uses the City’s authority over our heliports to phase out the noisiest, most outdated aircraft, while making space for safer, cleaner, electric aviation."

Allison Maser, a spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Adams, said his office was reviewing the legislation — which passed with a veto-proof majority — but did not comment on whether he would sign.

The legislation was passed two weeks after a sightseeing helicopter broke apart over the Hudson River and crashed into the water, killing a Spanish family of tourists aboard as well as their pilot.

No cause has been determined.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, with a preliminary report expected next month and a final determination in one to two years.

For years, opponents of the helicopters have sought to ban their operation in the Hudson River area, citing the flights' noise and danger in a densely populated region of millions of people, thousands of buildings and crowded maritime traffic.

Before the hearing, opponents rallied outside city hall to "stop the chop."

A City Council news release about the passage of the legislation says: "Exposure to excessive noise produced by frequent overhead flights is associated with a number of health effects, including high blood pressure, impaired psychological, and cognitive functions, and poorer long-term memory."

"In addition to noise issues, there have been numerous helicopter-related accidents in recent years, including a fatal incident over the Hudson River earlier this month," the release said.

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