Governor Kathy Hochul urged the federal government to intervene amid ongoing drone sightings after an airport in Orange County, New York, was forced to close its runways because of the mysterious plane.
Hochul said the runways at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor were closed for about an hour Friday evening due to drone activity in the airspace.
“This goes too far,” the governor said in a statement.
The airport, located about 60 miles north of New York City in the Hudson Valley, handles both commercial and military flights. The Stewart Air National Guard Base, which houses an Air Mobility Command unit of the New York Air National Guard, is located approximately 4 miles east of the main airport.
Hochul said she instructed the New York State Intelligence Center in mid-November to investigate the drone sightings in conjunction with the FBI.
On Saturday, Hochul called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act — a bill that would strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of drones and also give state and local law enforcement agencies more authority to investigate to do.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our colleagues is essential,” she wrote. “Until these powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden administration must intervene by sending additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.”
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said Thursday that they have no evidence that the reported drone sightings in New Jersey pose a threat to national security or public safety, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
Hochul’s call for federal assistance came after numerous unconfirmed reports surfaced Thursday of drones flying in various locations across the five boroughs, including at LaGuardia Airport.
Calls on police radio Thursday evening also indicated reports of numerous other drone sightings at locations in Far Rockaway, the Bronx and Staten Island.
The unexplained sightings have been widespread in New Jersey for almost a month and have also been reported in other states, including Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
