The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently imposed additional temporary bans on drone flights over 30 areas in New York. This decision follows the FAA’s initial temporary drone bans over 22 areas in New Jersey due to reports of strange flying objects in the night sky.
In response to requests from federal security partners, the FAA issued 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) to prevent drone flights over critical infrastructure in New Jersey. These new TFRs will be in effect until January 19 and encompass significant portions of southern New York and Long Island, including all five boroughs of New York City, as requested by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The initial bans in New Jersey cover regions in central and northern parts, such as Elizabeth, Camden, and Jersey City, and will remain in place until January 17. Additionally, the FAA has implemented bans in two other areas in New Jersey: Evesham and Bedminster.
Residents of New Jersey have reported sightings of unidentified drones in the sky for several weeks, leading to concerns raised by local officials and law enforcement. Despite this, the FBI and DHS have stated that there is no evidence to suggest that these drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat, nor do they indicate any foreign involvement. In fact, the agencies have clarified that many reported drone sightings were actually misidentified manned aircraft.
Furthermore, drone-related stocks experienced a surge this week following an announcement by Palantir regarding a partnership with Red Cat Holdings, coinciding with the increased interest in these mysterious sightings. Shares of Red Cat, a drone provider based in Puerto Rico, saw an approximate 10% increase in value on Thursday.
