NYC lawmaker asks FAA and NTSB to pause Manhattan seaplane flights

A New York City council member introduced a resolution for the FAA and NTSB to pause seaplane operations at Manhattan’s Skyport Seaplane Terminal while a broader safety review is conducted. Council Member Virginia Maloney has cited safety concerns over aircraft operations happening so close to densely populated areas as reason for the requested pause. Seaplanes have occupied a niche role in New York transportation for decades, from the Pan Am Clipper operating out of what is now LaGuardia Airport (LGA), to direct Manhattan access via the East River. Operators today use the East 23rd Street Skyport to connect travelers with destinations such as the Hamptons and other Northeast locations without requiring a trip through the area’s major airports. The resolution says the Skyport recorded 2,719 passenger boardings in 2025. The noise from those flights along with images of low-flying planes near high-rise buildings has also made seaplane operations a recurring subject of political debate. The proposal follows an accident where an Acadian Seaplanes Kodiak 100 made a hard landing on July 5. According to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), the aircraft was hit by a large wave that caused it to bounce, with a subsequent hard landing on the plane’s next contact with the water. The primary report stated the result was a collapsed left float strut and substantial damage to the left elevator. Early reports cited one minor injury. The eight people on board had to be rescued by emergency responders. During an October 20 council hearing, Maloney questioned city transportation officials about enforcement of operating guidance at the Skyport, including a recommendation to depart at least 1,000 feet offshore when conditions permit. City officials acknowledged they could not immediately provide figures regarding operator violations or enforcement actions. “So, it is not a hard and fixed rule,” said a Department of Transportation representative. “It is a strong recommendation.” Maloney’s resolution does not itself impose flight restrictions but instead has been referred to the council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for further review. What happens next The resolution changes nothing at the Skyport today. It is still a request, now in committee, and any pause in operations would have to come from the FAA, which has not responded.