As New York monitors reports of an apparent surge in drone activity, the federal government has coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to impose flight restrictions over some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites. New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday evening.
In a statement, Hochul said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas informed her of the temporary flight bans, which she said were “purely precautionary; there is no threat to these sites.”
The governor did not specify which sites were affected by the restrictions, or how long they could last.
“While we have not detected any threats to public safety or national security, we will continue to aggressively monitor the situation by calling on Congress to pass legislation to give state and local law enforcement “authority and resources they need to manage this evolving technology,” Hochul said. said.
Reports of drone sightings over New York and New Jersey led Hochul to communicate with federal leaders on the issue since mid-November, she said. The runways at Newburgh Stewart International Airport were recently closed due to an apparent drone sighting.
The governor recently announced that the Biden administration’s drone detection technology is being deployed in the Empire State.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at least one 360-degree radar detection system from Robin Radar Systems has been deployed between New York and New Jersey.