Crash Mobilizes Airport Foes

The Challenger crash at Teterboro on February 2 brought out the usual airport opponents. For many years, local officials, activists and residents in areas around the airport have been trying to restrain airport growth. Only 12 miles from Manhattan, TEB is one of the country’s busiest general aviation airports, with 202,720 operations last year.

After the crash, officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also operates Newark, La Guardia and Kennedy airports, met with acting New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey and local politicians. Port Authority chairman Anthony Coscia said the agency would try to reduce the number of flights at TEB and may install aerated concrete barriers like those at La Guardia. (He did, however, emphasize the airport’s importance to the local economy.)

In addition to attacking the safety of operations at TEB, Codey said he would like to see Stage 2 jets banned to reduce noise.