Amidst Newark Airport drone crisis, airport stores asked to stop selling drones
Drone sightings by pilots are on track to increase 400% over last year, with 650 drones spotted by commercial pilots in 2015 so far, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Drones taking up precious airspace is becoming an increasingly larger problem. Take, for example, a recent case when a drone was blamed for spreading a California wildlife fire, because it delayed efforts to dump fly-over water. Even still, the New York area is probably where drones are creating the most tension in our airways.
The past three weeks alone have been full of drone drama at NYC's supporting airports. A Delta jet from Orlando came within a quarter mile (just seconds of flying time) of a drone while landing at JFK, and four separate airlines reported drone sightings at Newark Liberty International Airport in early August.
FAA rules prohibit the usage of commercial drones above 500 feet, with a cap of 400 feet for hobbyists. The JFK drone was spotted just below the descending plane, at twice that height. The Newark drone terrified pilots at a harrowing 2,000-3,000 feet in the sky. Critics say not enough is being done to halt the growing trend of drone flights near airports.
A good place to begin? Stop selling drones within the Newark Airport.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced this week that it will demand that at least two stores within EWR immediately stop the sale of drones (because somehow, that is a thing that's happening). Ron Marsico, a Port Authority spokesman, told reporters:
"The Port Authority shares the aviation community's safety concerns about the growing presence of drones around the region's airports and is strongly opposed to the sale of drones at terminal shops."
Brookstone and Hudson News were singled out for their selection of multiple drones in the airport's shops this week in a report from NJ.com. And while few things are clear concerning the legality of drones as they continue to spike in popularity, the Port Authority is appealing to the retailers' common sense, if not a specific law banning their sale within the terminals.
Laura Samuels told NJ.com that Hudson News will put an end to sales, though they disagreed that their products, including the Z-4 Mini Drone by Swift Stream RC, should be considered drones, saying:
"We're not here to cause panic in the streets. If it is uncomfortable for customers or the airport, we will do what we always do in that situation, and that's remove them. And that's what I'm going to recommend we do."
Brookstone has remained quiet on the subject. The retailer has yet to respond to a request from Road Warrior Voices to comment.