An industry working group that has pledged to improve five specific areas of concern at Teterboro Airport said it’s on the road to success. This is despite the fact that residents and even local officials still insist not enough is being done to quell grievances with the airport’s operations.

Started in 2006, the group is a coalition of airport management, air aviation groups and general aviation users of the airport. The Teterboro Airport Industry Working Group, headed by Joseph Fazio, general manager of Atlantic Aviation, a fixed-base operator at Teterboro and James Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association, committed itself to five pledges. The pledges, involving safety, noise and security, came about after years of heavy criticism from local, state and federal legislators as well as numerous grassroots organizations formed by residents in opposition of the airport.

Noise levels

Among the statistics presented in its first annual report, the group cited precedent setting reductions in noise levels and overnight flights, two of the most contested facets of operations by constituents of surrounding municipalities. In addition, the group outlined capital improvements that have been made to protect against disastrous accidents that have plagued the airport in years past, the most horrific coming in 2005 when a jet skidded across Route 46 into a factory, colliding with vehicles on its way.

"As we look for new ways to balance the needs of the aviation industry with those of our neighbors in the community and economic benefits of having the airport remain strong and viable, you can be certain that we will continue to put forth our best efforts in 2008 and beyond," said Richard Hesling, manager of Teterboro Airport.

Stage II reduction

Within the report, the group reported on flight reductions that Stage II operations, the largest and noisiest planes still operating at the airport, were down 24 percent from 2006 to 2007. The number still represents 4,652 Stage II flights at the same time a voluntary ban on that sized aircraft had been initialized. In 2006, the group also pledged a voluntary curfew on nighttime flights. In 2007 however, there were still 13,858 nighttime flights, only a 6.6-percent reduction from 2006. The group reported that due to the decline in both areas, noise complaints had declined as well, down from 894 in 2006 to 696 in 2007. Since those records have been established in 1987, the numbers represented the lowest in the 20-year span.

Safety

Last year was the first that an $8 million Engineered Material Arrestor System (EMAS) was fully functional at the end of Runway 6, the same runway where the jet in 2005 skidded off of into Route 46 traffic. Under a week after final installation, a plane overshot the runway on a wrong turn and landed itself in the collapsible concrete. The capital improvement proved useful, stopping the plane before it made it to the airport’s perimeter. As for security, the group reported that the airport made headway on a $15 million overhaul on perimeter intrusion measures including upgrades to sensors, cameras and fencing.

Officials: No change

Residents and local officials, however, persist that operations at the airport, although lauded on paper as increasingly better, are exactly the same, if not worse.

"I know this is a big PR pump for them, but nothing has changed at all," said Craig Lahullier, a co-chairman of the Coalition for Public Health and Safety, a consortium of municipalities fighting the airport on quality of life issues. "I’m getting a lot more calls now. We’re coming off a time when windows have been shut, you can hear it, but now people are out, they’re working on their cars and their gardens. It’s the same old thing."

Residents aren’t in much disagreement. Fairly new to the area coming from a part of New Jersey that literally had no air traffic, 29-year-old Timothy Scheming said he has seen no difference in jet traffic since he’s been a resident of Carlstadt.

"Well, I’ve been in the area for two years now, couldn’t sleep at night when I moved here and sometimes it’s hard to enjoy the outdoors with the noise," said Scheming, who relocated to the borough from South Jersey for work. "Nothing’s changed…I still have the sleepless hours in the night, still have to raise the volume on TV and still, I hear the planes just as loud as 2005."

Recent air study

Lahullier said he has a meeting this week with Coalition members to discuss what can be done about the rather inconclusive nature of a comprehensive study on air quality around the airport as well as weigh options to help solve the resident complaints about the noise. He said one option being tossed around is possibly creating a class action lawsuit with residents joining as plaintiffs, challenging quality of life laws in the region.

"They’re not knocking our socks off by these numbers," he said. "So there’s been 1,000 less Stage II flights… that means what…1,000 out of about 300,000. It’s good to see we’re moving forward, but the numbers are just fractions of what should be done."

Congressman Steve Rothman, who has led his own fight in a federal capacity against Teterboro’s intrusive operations, admits there is still a long road ahead to quelling most constituents’ concerns on safety, noise and pollution at the airport. He does, however, acknowledge that although small, efficiency is moving in the right direction.

"There’s actually been some progress, but I’m always thinking of what we can do better there. Every day, I’m thinking of a way to make it better," said Rothman.

Rothman said his next move, which is near complete on mutual agreement, would have medical diagnostic testing company Quest Diagnostics, with offices in Teterboro and Lyndhurst, use a much quieter fleet of Stage 4 planes. The company is the airport’s largest nighttime user that must fly round the clock for medical needs.