WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today applauded the inclusion of a provision he authored in the final omnibus federal spending bill that continues a ban he has long fought for on larger planes flying into Teterboro Airport to reduce noise pollution and protect the quality of life for area residents.

“Residents living near Teterboro or under its flight path are subject to the incessant noise, rumbling and house-rattling of jets roaring overhead,” said Sen. Menendez. “This is a quality of life issue, plain and simple. With driveways just a stone’s throw from Teterboro’s runways, allowing larger planes to utilize the airport would only exacerbate these issues for the surrounding community. It is vital that we continue commonsense weight restrictions that not only protect the well-being of New Jerseyans, but also prevent the deterioration of the airport’s runways.”

Sen. Menendez has led the effort for years to protect those living near Teterboro from the threat posed by larger aircraft by consistently fighting to include language in annual spending bills to prohibit lifting Teterboro’s 100,000-pound weight limit, in effect since 1967. The issue first arose when the Federal Aviation Administration under President George W. Bush tried to increase the weight limits at Teterboro.

The weight limit has protected area residents from increased noise, while allowing Teterboro to fulfill its mission as a general aviation reliever airport for commercial flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport, and maintain the integrity of its runways and taxiways that would deteriorate more rapidly under the weight of larger aircraft.