Is a Little Up in Air

What might be the city’s most disliked transit facility that relatively few people actually use, the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) at Pier 6 and South Street, is hoping to change its image and, to a notable degree, its function.

In December the Adams administration, along with the agency that controls the property, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), announced a major overhaul of the facility that would address the longstanding primary complaint about it—infernal helicopter noise—while also adapting the heliport to a more multi-modal future.

Also part of this announcement is that the DMH would have a new operator, with a group called Downtown Skyport replacing the facility’s operator for the last 18 years, the Pier 6-based Saker Aviation. Downtown Skyport itself is joint venture between the UK-based Skyports Infrastructure, which operates London’s heliport, and France’s Groupe ADP, which operates Paris’ three airports.

Following a competitive Request for Proposal process, Downtown Skyport was awarded the DMH contract, with their control of the facility, after a transition period, set to commence this year.

As reported in the New York Post, on Feb. 5, Saker Chairman William Wachtel sent a letter to NYC Comptroller Brad Lander urging the contract be nixed because of what Wachtel called “material misrepresentations” in Skyport’s proposal. Whether Wachtel’s claims—including some legal tangles in Groupe ADP foreign subsidiaries—are significant will be determined by the Comptroller.

In November 2022, it was reported that Saker Aviation received $1.4 million in COVID-related rent breaks, so the history between EDC and Saker is a complicated one.

For their part, the EDC has denied Saker’s claims, saying, “Groupe ADP and Skyports Infrastructure bring extensive experience in the heliport and airport operations, globally and domestically, and are perfectly positioned to advance the Adams administration’s vision of transforming the Downtown Manhattan Heliport.”

Among these transformations are a variety of “sustainable” goals, including the electrification of helicopters, and making the DMH not just an air facility but a maritime one as well, with the goal of reducing truck traffic.

One change New Yorkers will hopefully hear sooner than later concerns the bane of any place helicopters go: noise, infernal noise!

This reporter can personally attest that even weekend mornings in Brooklyn Bridge Park can seem more like the set of a Vietnam War movie than a bucolic retreat due to the steady stream of helicopters not just flying in and out of the Pier 6 landing zone but also buzzing nearby Governors Island and the Brooklyn Bridge.

While few people begrudge tourists the thrill of a helicopter flight over Gotham, there must be a better way. As for DMH’s other main constituency, gilded-class helicopter commuters, their convenience isn’t a popular cause among the Big Apple’s earthbound residents.

Lest anyone think these complaints are exaggerated, even the EDC’s press release suggests otherwise, and could have included many more noise complaints than it did.

“The noise and environmental impact of the heliport have been long-standing concerns for our residents, and I’m proud to see NYCEDC take these steps toward a quieter, greener, and more innovative future,” said New York State Assemblyman Charles D. Fall, of the 61st District, covering the North Shore of Staten Island, Lower Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn. “I’m glad to have worked with them on this, and I’m excited to see how this transformation improves the quality of life for our neighbors while setting a new standard for sustainable transportation.”

“Investing in sustainable helicopter infrastructure at the Downtown Heliport to reduce noise and air pollution is a big step in the right direction,” said UWS Councilmember and former Manhattan Beep Gale A. Brewer. “I appreciate the city’s efforts to address the quality of life and public health issues caused by helicopters and look forward to partnering with the City and the operator on further minimizing the impact on our communities.”

“As Chair of the Economic Development Committee, I’ve fought for decarbonization and sustainable solutions across sectors, particularly in the aviation industry,” said Council Member and Majority Leader Amanda Farías of the Bronx. “The selection of ‘Downtown Skyport’ as the new operator for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport is a pivotal step toward addressing noise and environmental concerns by advancing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology.”

Farías is no dilettante. In April 2024, her EDC committee held an informative oversight hearing on Helicopter and Noise and Safety, including data on the Downtown Manhattan, East 34th Street and West 30th heliports, as well as other regional helicopter facilities.

One notable facility not mentioned in the committee hearing is what was once Manhattan’s most famed heliport—the one of top of what was once called the Pan Am Building. Flight from the building can best be seen in one of the great New York crime movies, Coogan’s Bluff (1968), directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood as an Arizona sheriff on the hunt for a fugitive.

Ironically, helicopter service at the Pan Am Building ended that same year for financial reasons, and didn’t begin again until February 1977. That revival would prove short-lived. Following a May 16, 1977 rooftop crash that killed five people, helicopter service there ceased.