Hackensack officials are asking federal aviation authorities to require eligible Teterboro arrivals to use a route that avoids residential neighborhoods, after city figures showed the existing offset approach was used for just 80 of 39,460 eligible arrivals in 2025.
The Hackensack City Council passed the resolution on Oct. 6, 2026, urging the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to mandate the Runway 19 Offset Approach. It follows the commercial Route 17 corridor rather than the densely populated areas planes now fly over.
The council also wants arrivals distributed more evenly among Teterboro’s runways. The resolution says aircraft noise, ground vibrations and localized exhaust emissions disrupt daily life and outdoor recreation across central Bergen County.
Mayor Caseen Gaines framed the request as a neighborhood and school concern.
“Working families in Hackensack shouldn't carry the burden of nearly half of Teterboro's incoming flights.”
Gaines also wrote that planes were roaring over classrooms and distracting students, and said the city was pressing for a more even distribution of arrivals and required use of the offset for eligible aircraft.
City figures show concentrated arrivals and little use of the offset
The city’s cited figures describe both the share of flights using Runway 19 and the low uptake of the alternate approach. The published usage descriptions differ in period and wording.
| Measure | Figure cited | Period or basis |
|---|---|---|
| Runway 19 share of arrivals | 48.75% | 2025 |
| Runway 19 share of arrivals | 48.58% | First half of 2026 |
| Southern approach over Hackensack | 67% | City figure |
| Offset approach use | 80 of 39,460, or 0.2% | Eligible arrivals in 2025 |
| Total aircraft movements | Up 11.5% | First half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 |
| Private jet movements | Up 12.26% | First half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 |
News 12 separately characterized use of the Route 17 path as “less than 1% of traveling planes.” TAPinto described its use as “less than 2% of the time over the past two years.” Those descriptions cover different periods or use different wording; the city’s specific 2025 calculation is 80 of 39,460 eligible arrivals.
The resolution also notes that the southern approach sends aircraft directly over Hackensack. Runway 19 accounted for nearly half of arrivals in both periods listed by the city, while the city says overall aircraft movements and private jet movements increased in the first half of 2026.
The FAA said it is open to starting a dialogue with Hackensack officials and residents. The agency advises communities concerned about aircraft noise to contact a local aviation community roundtable or airport operator first. It can then work with airport operators to assess whether changes to air traffic procedures could reduce noise.
The FAA said noise reduction requires cooperation among the agency, air carriers, airports, aircraft manufacturers, research universities, local communities and elected officials. Hackensack has shared its resolution with federal, state and county officials, Teterboro Airport leadership, neighboring municipalities and the Teterboro Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee.
Airport rules set a noise ceiling and offer a way to report complaints
Teterboro’s maximum noise level for Runway 19 is 95 dB(A) at all times, according to the airport. Exceeding that limit violates airport rules. Aircraft with three noise violations within two years are not permitted to operate at Teterboro.
The airport’s Quiet Flying Program gives crews guidance on noise regulations and recommended abatement practices. It also calls for voluntary restraint of non-essential aircraft operations during Quiet Hours, between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Residents can report noise through the airport’s hotline or complaint portal:
- Call 800-225-1071.
- Submit a report through the Teterboro Airport noise complaint portal.
Earlier trials exposed the hurdles to shifting the approach
The flight-path dispute dates back to at least 2007, when airport noise officials raised concerns about aircraft near Hackensack University Medical Center and surrounding neighborhoods. U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Rep. Steve Rothman supported efforts to develop an alternate route away from the hospital and nearby homes.
The FAA began developing a new approach in 2008 and completed its final design in 2015. In 2016, the agency tested a quieter approach along Route 17 for six months. A 2017 FAA presentation put the traditional Runway 19 approach at an average altitude of 750 feet near the medical center; 234 planes used the alternate route during the trial.
At a public meeting, an air traffic control manager said the trial route required more work from pilots than the traditional approach, which uses an instrument landing system. Pilots had to enter landing waypoints manually, increasing their workload and requiring more time looking down at cockpit instruments. The FAA ultimately did not make that tested procedure permanent after pilots declined to use it.
A separate flight path opened over Route 17 in 2021, but remains optional. Hackensack’s current resolution centers on the approved offset procedure, which city officials say was designed to guide arriving planes away from homes, parks and schools.
Paramus has joined the campaign as Teterboro expansion advances
Paramus Mayor Christopher DiPiazza recently passed a resolution criticizing the use of the southern approach and Runway 19, citing low-flying aircraft, noise and other environmental effects. Hackensack is encouraging other affected towns to support the effort.
The request comes as Teterboro’s expansion moves forward. In late September, the FAA issued a finding of no significant environmental impact for plans that include new hangars, flight lines and parking in the Hackensack Meadowlands District. Neighbors have expressed concern that expansion could worsen noise.
Residents have described the disruption in everyday terms. Victoria Tahhan said private jets landing at the airport were “the size of a small house” and questioned what might come with expansion. She recalled living in a high-rise on Prospect Avenue and turning on Christmas lights all year at night; planes were so loud that people had to stop conversations.
Aysyah Allen said residents had adapted to the noise. “We just learned to get used to it,” Allen said. “There's nothing we can do about it.”
