New York has temporarily banned flights over some of the state’s “critical infrastructure sites” after mysterious drone sightings across the country.
No risk to public safety or national security has been detected and the action is “purely preventative,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday.
Newsweek reached out to the governor’s office, via email after business hours, for comment.
There have been multiple drone sightings in northeastern states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, raising considerations about security threats and hypotheses about foreign involvement.
The Federal Aviation Administration this week ordered a temporary ban on drones in parts of New Jersey for “special protection reasons. “
The reports began about a month ago and a recent report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security said there have been more than 5,000 drone sightings in East Coast states in recent weeks.
The new drone restrictions, which are in place until Jan. 18, are accompanied by a “state-of-the-art drone detection formula delivered to (New York) through the Biden-Harris administration earlier this week. “
The no-fly zones include Far Rockaway in Queens, Brooklyn and two Long Island communities, Ridge and Garden City, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Governor Kathy Hochul said, “Since mid-November, New York has been closely monitoring reports of drone activity and we have been communicating intensively with our federal partners. I have spoken with Secretary Mayorkas several times and have just been informed that he has coordinated with federal partners and the FAA to grant transient flight restrictions on certain infrastructure sites that New York reviews: This measure is purely preventative and there is no risk to those sites;
“This is in addition to the drone detection formula that the Biden-Harris administration gave us this week. While we have not detected any threats to public safety or national security, we will continue to aggressively monitor the situation. Congress must pass legislation to give states and local authorities the authority and resources they desire to manage this evolving technology, public protection is my most sensible priority, and I will do nothing to keep my constituents safe.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are currently investigating drone sightings all over the country.
Some US officials have even called for a state of emergency, as President-elect Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers find it difficult to shoot down unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Federal agencies will continue to investigate the sightings. Newsweek has broken down why it is difficult to deal with these incidents here.
Jordan King is a Newsweek journalist founded in London, UK. It focuses on human interest stories in Africa and the Middle East. She has extensively covered the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, police brutality and poverty in South Africa, and gender-based violence around the world. Jordan joined Newsweek in 2024 after leaving The Evening Standard and has worked at Metro. co. uk in the past. She graduated from Kingston University and also worked in documentaries. Jordan can be reached by emailing j. king@newsweek. com. Languages: English.