The ban was made amid heightened concerns over drones seen flying across the state in recent weeks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary ban on drone operations in multiple areas across New Jersey until next month unless operators are given special permission, amid heightened concerns over recent sightings of the unmanned vehicles.
Over the past several weeks, drones—sometimes swarms of them—have been spotted in New Jersey by local residents and police, drawing alarm from elected officials in the state. Some, including Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.), have called for the federal government to take down the drones, while federal officials say the drones don’t pose a threat to national security or public safety.
An Epoch Times review of the FAA’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) messages for New Jersey shows that the federal agency, starting from Dec. 18, has barred people from flying drones across most of the state, with some exceptions.
The ban went into effect on Dec. 18 and will end on Jan. 17, 2025, according to the messages.
“No UAS [unmanned aircraft system] operations are authorized in the areas covered by this NOTAM (except as described),” the FAA said on Dec. 18 for multiple regions across New Jersey.
Those exceptions include law enforcement, Homeland Security, firefighting, disaster response missions, drone operations in “support of event” operations, and commercial drone operations with a valid work reason. People who are operating drones for commercial purposes must also have an approved federal waiver while the ban is in effect, the notice said.
The FAA also recommended that operators check its NOTAMS section on a regular basis to see if “possible changes” were made by the agency.
An Epoch Times review of the NOTAMs shows that the temporary restrictions on drone flight operations were implemented in the following municipalities in the state: Bayonne, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Burlington, Camden, Cedar Grove, Clifton, Edison, Elizabeth, Evesham, Gloucester City, Hancocks Bridge, Hamilton, Harrison, Jersey City, Kearny, Metuchen, North Brunswick, Sewaren, South Brunswick, Westampton, and Winslow.
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